In The News

A man accused of beating an Australian tourist with a skateboard in Ocean Beach last year and throwing him into a smoldering fire pit pleaded guilty Friday to attempted murder. Damian Maple, 22, also pleaded guilty to assault in a separate attack on a man in Dog Beach, and admitted causing great bodily injury to the victim. As part of a plea bargain, Maple agreed to a 14-year prison term. San Diego Superior Court Judge David Danielsen accepted the pleas and scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 15. Maple is one of two men charged in the Feb. 27 attack…

EAST COUNTY COURTS: A Lakeside man convicted of murdering his real estate agent was sentenced yesterday to 40 years to life in prison. In September, a jury found Michael Ray Jennison, 38, guilty of second-degree murder for shooting James Magot in the head during a dispute over a condominium deal in February 2007. Magot, 64, wanted to buy the condominium for himself, but Jennison wanted to sell it to a neighbor. In El Cajon Superior Court yesterday, Jennison received a sentence of 15 years to life in prison for the second-degree murder charge and 25 years to life for the…

A Carmel Valley mother who fled a Michigan prison 32 years ago and lived on the lam until her arrest this year pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of escape after a judge offered to give her probation. Susan LeFevre, 53, cried with relief at the judge's words, said her attorney, William Swor. “The judge indicated that if she was willing to accept responsibility and plead guilty to the charge that he would make a preliminary commitment to give her probation,” Swor said yesterday from Detroit. “He said 'Enough is enough.' ” Sentencing is set for Sept. 24 in Wayne…

SAN DIEGO – Following a lengthy and emotional hearing Friday, a judge sentenced four young men to jail terms and placed them on three years' probation in the death of a professional surfer in La Jolla in May 2007. Superior Court Judge John S. Einhorn ordered Eric House, 21, and Matthew Yanke, 22, to serve 210 days each in jail. Orlando Osuna, 23, was sentenced to 349 days in jail. The three had pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of Emery Kauanui Jr., 24. Henri “Hank” Hendricks, 22, was sentenced to 90 days in jail. He had pleaded…

SAN DIEGO – The mother of a professional surfer who was fatally beaten in La Jolla last year filed a lawsuit Tuesday against five young men involved in the fight, their parents, and the bar where some members of the group had been drinking. Cynthia Kauanui accuses the men of wrongful death for beating or assisting in the beating of 24-year-old Emery Kauanui on May 24, 2007. In her suit, Kauanui contends that the young men's parents are also at fault because they had a "duty" to control, discipline and supervise their children. She claims the parents of all but…

SAN DIEGO FEDERAL COURT: A federal judge in San Diego scheduled an Oct. 7 hearing date yesterday for a woman arrested in the investigation of a bombing outside the downtown federal courthouse in May. Rachelle Lynette Carlock, 31, of San Diego has pleaded not guilty to charges of using a stolen identity to buy gunpowder. She remains in federal custody without bail. A trial date is expected to be scheduled during the hearing in October. Federal officials have said Carlock's arrest stemmed from the investigation into the May 4 bombing, although authorities have stopped short of directly linking her to…