A settlement has finally been reached in the case against the marauding local surf gang that has allegedly terrorized a Los Angeles County coastal paradise for six decades.
Last week, the city of Palos Verdes Estates agreed to not only take steps to improve public access to Luanda Bay, but also to strictly enforce the laws so that all surfers can enjoy the waves in peace, without the presence of the “Bay Boys” group.
The group is known for verbally intimidating, lurking and throwing rocks at visitors, and for vandalizing cars. They did all this while holed up in a crudely built fort beneath the cliffs of Luanda Bay that served as their base of operations, the indictment alleges.
The city and two surfers, Cory Spencer and Diana Milena Reed, reached a settlement after alleging in a 2016 lawsuit that Palos Verdes Estates ignored the harsh tactics of the rowdy group, which has made it its mission to keep people from enjoying the water.
Of the 12 alleged members named in the legal filing, assessed by LA TimesMost of them have reached separate settlements with the plaintiffs, agreeing to stay off the beach for a year or face a hefty fine of $35,000-$90,000, or a combination of both.
The surf gang ‘Bay Boys’, who have been known for terrorizing beachgoers and other surfers for decades, have finally learned their fate after allegedly bullying people out of Lunada Bay for decades. (Pictured: the rock fort the group built at the foot of the cliff)
El Segundo police officer Cory Spencer (pictured) described his ordeal with the beach bums, which he said included being subjected to teasing from the group at their elaborate hangout
The city has agreed to post signs making it clear that all are welcome in the bay, install stone benches along the cliffs and regularly monitor the area to ensure that no unauthorized activities are taking place, including the infamous surfer gang’s fort.
Their rock fortress was already demolished in 2016 after the California Coastal Commission received complaints about it.
Under the revised consent decree, as reported by the newspaper, city employees will now be required to undergo training on shoreline access laws.
Additionally, all suspected incidents of bullying must be reported to the City Manager, the Chief of Police, the Chief of the Coastal Commission, and the Supervisor/Manager of Southern California Enforcement, subject to detailed legal regulations.
Violating the new agreements could result in fines of up to $15,000 per day.
The federal government’s decade-long class-action lawsuit alleged that the surfers’ alleged antics violated the California Coastal Act.
The law requires that the public have access to sites along the state’s coast, which apparently isn’t the case at the foot of this hill on the edge of the wealthy town of Palos Verdes Estates.
Diana Milena Reed (pictured) claimed she encountered the ‘Bay Boys’ when she visited the surf spot in 2016 at the age of 29. She went a second time and said she was ‘flashed’ by a man while she allegedly rubbed his genitals in a sexual manner
The city has agreed to put up signs making it clear that everyone is welcome on the beach, install stone benches along the cliffs and regularly monitor the area to ensure there are no unauthorized activities present – including the notorious surfers’ gang’s fort
In the lawsuit, one of the victims, Reed, claimed she encountered the “Bay Boys” when she visited the surf spot in 2016 at the age of 29.
“They were yelling profanities at me and making fun of me because my wetsuit was purple. They were treating me in a very rude and threatening manner,” she previously told KTLA.
‘I was literally paralyzed with fear and couldn’t do anything.’
The Malibu resident filed a police report and returned to the coast a second time, where she says she was met with an even worse reception: two men immediately approached her.
“One of them immediately ran up to me with a can of beer, shook the can vigorously and sprayed the can of beer on my arm and my camera,” she recalled.
The other man, she said, then made her “flash,” while he allegedly rubbed his genitals in a sexual manner.
“They said they were filming me because they thought I was sexy and I turned them on, you know,” she told the network, becoming emotional.
‘I try to forget all kinds of vulgar things.’
Another accuser, retired El Segundo police officer Cory Spencer, described his ordeal with the beachgoers, saying he was subjected to harassment from the group from their meeting place at the foot of the cliffs.
“What the f**k are you doing here?” and “Why are you surfing here?” were some of the jabs he received upon arrival. The intimidation only got worse when he got into the water.
At that point, he told Judge Laurence Rubin of the California Court of Appeals, Second Appellate District, that one of the men, surfing the next wave, steered his board straight toward him while he was still paddling.
He told how he had to roll off his board to protect himself and how he cut his wrist on the other man’s board.
Spencer also showed text messages sent by members of the Bay Boys in his part of the lawsuit, in which local surfers were eager to harass him and an acquaintance after hearing the two were coming to visit.
“There are two madmen,” is said to have been written in one of the texts referencing Spencer.
‘[H]There is a short, bald, white man with them.
‘[H]it looks like a bodyboard or f**k [sic] “What a joke!”
One of the elite group members reportedly approached Spencer’s friend at their car on the hill where the pair were parked, asking why they kept coming back.
“We’re going to make it hard for you every time,” said the man, one of the suspects who has since reached a plea agreement, according to Spencer.
“This is what we do. It’s not going to get better for you.”
Spencer, a lifelong surfer who also worked as a Los Angeles police officer, felt compelled to file a lawsuit, he said, clearing the way for Reed to join the cause.
They both allege that Palos Verdes Estates, a city of about 13,000 people, has been reluctant to crack down on the long-standing group, the lawsuit says.
They said the city protects the band as local residents, but also appreciates them keeping outsiders out of town.
In the lawsuit, Spencer (pictured) also alleged that he was cut on the back of his wrist after rolling off his surfboard when a gang member allegedly steered his board straight toward him while he was still paddling.
Palos Verdes Estates Mayor Dawn Murdock (pictured) said some residents will be happy with the decision, while others will be less happy because of the amount of money spent on legal fees.
After Friday’s settlement, Kate Huckelbridge, executive director of the California Coastal Commission, said, “We welcome and support any steps taken to ensure that the public beach is clearly accessible to the public and to ensure that Lunada Bay, like the rest of California’s coast and ocean, is safe and welcoming to visitors regardless of their zip code.”
Palos Verdes Estates Mayor Dawn Murdock said some residents will be happy with the decision, while others will be less happy because of the high costs of legal representation.
“The city has been through a rollercoaster of verdicts in this lawsuit and as we looked to the future, we saw nothing but more legal costs and uncertainty,” Murdock said.
“We need to focus on residents’ priorities and it’s good that this no longer takes up valuable resources.”
The city has agreed to pay $1 million to $4 million for Spencer and Reed’s legal fees, but it’s unclear exactly how much they will receive, the LA Times reported.
Christopher Pisano, the attorney representing the wealthy city in the case, said that if Palos Verdes Estates lost the case, the company would face “existential financial risk.”
“This settlement provides certainty, eliminating the risk of tens of millions of dollars in liability and avoiding the high costs of continued litigation,” he explained.