2 Teens Held in Huntington Cross Burning

Two Huntington Beach teenagers have been arrested in connection with the burning of a cross outside a Jewish family’s home this week, Huntington Beach police said Friday.

Daniel Patrick Carr, 18, of Huntington Beach was arrested about 3 p.m. Friday in Fountain Valley on suspicion of a hate crime, arson and burning a religious symbol. He is being held at Huntington Beach City Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Thursday evening, a 16-year-old boy, whose name was not released because of his age, was booked on suspicion of the same crimes, Police Lt. Luis Ochoa said. He is being held at Orange County Juvenile Hall.

“These activities are not going to be tolerated,” said Ken Inouye, the chairman of Huntington Beach’s year-old human relations task force.

Inouye, who also is on the Orange County Human Relations Commission, said that the cross burning “is certainly disturbing” and it “shows that we have more work to do.”

Huntington Beach residents have banded together in unprecedented fashion to promote dialogue and education and to combat hate, Inouye said.

“When you do this work, you don’t know how many incidents you’ve prevented,” he said. “Unfortunately, this [cross burning] reminds us that we have a long way to go and that we haven’t eradicated all the hate out there.”

The burning cross was discovered about 10 p.m. Tuesday by the 46-year-old homeowner, who was sitting in his living room when he saw the fire. He ran outside, knocked down the cross and sprayed it with water from a garden hose. He then called police.

Ochoa said police found evidence of the crime at the juvenile’s home and in other areas of the city. But police released few details, including the suspects’ connection to the victimized family, because the investigation is ongoing.

Two years ago, the City Council declared a zero-tolerance policy toward racially motivated crimes and later established a human relations task force following several hate crimes, including the 1994 murder of an African American man and the stabbing of a Native American man in 1996.

Rusty Kennedy, director of the county Human Relations Commission, said that Huntington Beach is the only city in Orange County “where there has been a concerted, community-wide effort” to combat hate crimes.

“Even though this was a horrible incident, I’m impressed we have a community that jumps into action . . . and is working to prevent this type of hate from taking seed and growing,” Kennedy said.

Inouye said he has been heartened by the efforts of the task force, which is made up of 25 core members plus student representatives from high schools. “These people are not victims of hate crimes,” he said. “They just want to make things better for others in their community.”

Last month, the task force helped present a citywide symposium on diversity, he said. The group also is planning a “day of dialogue” in the fall to “have all of Huntington Beach come together, just to meet their neighbors,” he said.

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On June 6, the task force will sponsor “Hands Across Huntington Beach” in conjunction with the grand opening of Pier Plaza, said Deputy City Administrator Richard Barnard, who is a staff liaison to the group.

The cross burning is not a sign that the task force’s efforts have been unsuccessful, he said.

“Yes, we have had problems. And for the most part, they have been taken care of through solid police work,” Barnard said. Through the City Council and task force, he said, “we’ve tried our best to heighten the awareness of the community and the schools, to make people aware of the ugliness of the whole business of hate.”

According to the county’s Human Relations Commission, 32 anti-Semitic incidents were reported last year, outnumbered only by hate crimes against African Americans, which numbered 35.

The statistics are not broken down by city, Kennedy said, because not all communities are consistent about reporting hate crimes. Huntington Beach does not have a disproportionate number, he said.

Inouye said he has left word with the victims of the cross burning that he and the task force are outraged by the incident and are ready to assist them.

“I’ve let them know that members of the community would like to help,” he said. “We’re not trying to replace law enforcement, but we are neighbors who would like to offer a helping hand.”

Times staff writer H.G. Reza contributed to this report.