Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.metro From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: White man guilty of attacking 2 blacks Date: Tue, 27 Oct 92 13:27:07 EST Message-ID: \SE B;METROPOLITAN \HD White man guilty of attacking 2 blacks \BY Arlo Wagner \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES A 20-year-old Aspen Hill man pleaded guilty in Rockville yesterday to a racially motivated March attack on two black women, one of whom was doused with lighter fluid. Sean Thomas Riley pleaded guilty to assault with intent to maim, reckless endangerment and two counts of a racially motivated crime, just minutes before his co-defendant went to trial for the same March 3 attack. But an attorney for John Randolph Ayers Jr., 22, the co-defendant, told jurors the attack was not racially motivated. Attorney Victor Crawford said the case has been exaggerated into a racial trial by the media after the acquittal of Los Angeles police officers in the beating of Rodney King sparked riots there. "It's going to be a tough case for you because of the media," Mr. Crawford told the jury. "I think you're going to find from the evidence that it never happened." But Assistant State's Attorney Robert Dean said evidence will show Riley and Mr. Ayers cruised past the women as they were using a gas station pay phone about 3 a.m. March 3. They parked their car and chased the women, he said. He said Mr. Ayers dragged Johnnie McRae, 39, into a wooded area near Aspen Manor Shopping Center on Georgia Avenue where he beat her and "she gets doused with lighter fluid," Mr. Dean said, quoting Riley as saying later they were out on a "nigger hunt." During Riley's plea, police Detective John McCloskey said the lighter fluid was found on Riley, who had fled into the woods after chasing Myrtle Guillory, 29, up to the door of a neighborhood resident who called police. The detective said when Miss Guillory asked, "What do you want from me?" Riley said, "I'm going to kill you, nigger." "There was a can of charcoal fluid, but who had it? There was a cigarette lighter, but who had it?" Mr. Crawford asked. "I'm convinced you will convict John Ayers about what he did do . . . and I hope you will ignore the entreaties to convict him for what he did not do." The two women are expected to testify when the trial resumes this morning for Mr. Ayers, of the 13200 block of Turkey Branch Parkway north of Wheaton. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM