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Olivehurst men accused of hate crimes after attack in Linda
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April 23, 2011 12:04:00 AM
By Rob Young/Appeal-Democrat

Two Olivehurst men are facing hate crime charges after allegedly attacking a black woman and white man at a Linda convenience store.

The incident, which occurred about 11 p.m. Monday at the Full Stop Market, 1675 North Beale Road, is considered racially motivated, said Yuba County Sheriff Steve Durfor.

Perry Sylvester Jackson, 25, was arrested the same night while Anthony Merrell Tyler, 30, was arrested Friday. A third suspect, Billy James Hammett, 27, also of Olivehurst, is being sought, Durfor said.

Detectives had not determined Friday if the men have connections to a white supremacist gang. The men and the victims are strangers to each other, said department spokeswoman Melanie Oakes.

In April 2006, Hammett was sentenced to six years in prison for beating a 72-year-old black man. He was identified then as a member of the Supreme White Power gang.

As the woman drove into the market and parked, the suspects approached and yelled racial slurs. One struck the windshield with a tire iron, shattering it, Durfor said.

"One man approached the driver's side of the woman's vehicle and attempted to open the door. Once the woman was out of the car, she was physically assaulted by the same suspect," Durfor said.

A second suspect punched the man through the passenger window and continued assaulting him once he was out of the car, the sheriff said.

After both victims were out, one of the attackers tried to get into the driver's seat. When the male victim intercepted him, all three suspects, one armed with a tire iron, kicked and punched him, Durfor said.

The man's cellphone was taken, resulting in a robbery charge. Other charges are expected to include attempted carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon and making criminal threats.

Jackson was arraigned this week. Tyler is scheduled to be arraigned next week. Bail for each was set at $150,000.

The suspect still missing, Hammett, is about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds. He has blond hair and hazel eyes.

In the 2006 beating case, Hammett switched T-shirts afterward with another man who ended up being arrested for the crime. Hammett later stepped forward and admitted it.

Anyone with information on Hammett's whereabouts, or the Monday attack, is asked to call the Yuba County Sheriff's Department at 749-7777.

CONTACT reporter Rob Young at 749-4784.