Jail and probation for surfer’s death

Four young La Jolla men who pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the beating death of professional surfer Emery Kauanui were sentenced Friday, Sept. 5, to probation and jail time.

Eric House was sentenced to 210 days in custody; Orlando Osuna was sentenced to 349 days in jail; Matthew Yanke was sentenced to 210 days in custody; and Hank Hendricks was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

Osuna, 23, House, 21, and Yanke, 22, pleaded guilty on June 27 to involuntary manslaughter in connection with the beating death of Emery Kauanui.

Hendricks, 22, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact for whisking Seth Cravens, 22, away from the scene of the May 24, 2007 fight. Seth Cravens, 22, is scheduled to go on trial for second-degree murder on Oct. 14.

The group got into a fight with Kauanui at his home following a drink-spilling incident at the La Jolla Brew House. During the fight, Cravens allegedly punched Cravens, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head. He died at the hospital four days later from the injury.

Mary Ellen Attridge, Cravens’ attorney, unsuccessfully argued in favor of having the charge against her client dropped down to voluntary manslaughter because he had no knowledge that punching Kauanui would result in his death.

Cravens is also charged with making a criminal threat, and battery and assault causing great bodily injury in connection with a series of separate attacks dating back to 2004.

In addition to their pleas related to Kauanui’s death, Osuna pleaded guilty to three counts of misdemeanor battery stemming from previous assaults and Yanke admitted to one count of misdemeanor battery from a previous assault.