A surf spot in Los Angeles County has become a hangout for a group of rowdy, veteran surfers known for verbally harassing, posturing and throwing rocks at visitors.
The group known as the “Bay Boys” is also known for vandalizing cars, according to a lawsuit, which claims the group has been at it for decades and points to a crudely constructed fort beneath the cliffs of Lunada Bay as its base of operations.
The federal class-action lawsuit has been ongoing for decades and claims the surfers’ alleged antics violate California’s Coastal Act.
The law requires that the public have access to sites along the state’s coast, which apparently has not been the case at the bottom of this cliff located at the cusp of the wealthy town of Palos Verdes Estates.
So far, 12 members of the group have reached an out-of-court settlement, and only two have had to defend themselves against the claims of two surfers who say they were harassed. A hearing was held last Tuesday, the last in a long-running process.
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The group known as the “Bay Boys” have operated from their elaborate meeting place (seen here) at the base of this cliff along Palos Verdes Estates for decades, a lawsuit alleges, a period that has reportedly seen them harass visitors to keep them away.
The alleged victim, Diana Reed, said she was “flashed” and sprayed with beer by members of the group during a visit to the beach at the base of the cliff in 2016. She is among the plaintiffs filing the lawsuit saying she and others have been unlawfully prevented from accessing the public beach.
“I was really frozen in fear, unable to do anything,” alleged victim Diana Reed told KTLA of her alleged encounter with the Bay Boys when she was 29 and visiting the surf spot in 2016.
“They shouted profanities at me, they made fun of my wetsuit because it was purple, they treated me in a very rude and threatening way,” she said.
The Malibu resident filed a police report before returning to the stretch of coast a second time, where she said she was met with an even worse reception: Two of the men immediately approached her.
“One of them immediately ran towards me with a beer can, shook it vigorously and sprayed my arm and camera with the can,” he recalled.
‘The other man, she said, continued ‘flashing his genitals at her,’ all while allegedly rubbing her private parts in a sexual manner.
“They said they were filming me because they thought I was sexy and that I, you know, turned them on,” she told the station, getting emotional.
‘I’m trying to leave behind all kinds of vulgar things.’
On Tuesday, another plaintiff, retired El Segundo police officer Cory Spencer, described his ordeal with the beach bums, which he said involved the group bombarding him with taunts from a gathering place built at the base of the cliffs.
On Tuesday, another plaintiff, retired El Segundo police officer Cory Spencer, described his ordeal with the beach bums, which he said involved the group bombarding him with taunts from their elaborate hangout.
He claims he was also harassed and even attacked by the elite group of locals in 2016, before being warned away from that area of the beach.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” and “why are you coming here to surf?” were some of the snide comments she received upon arrival, she said, and the harassment only got worse after she got into the water.
At the time, he told Judge Laurence Rubin of the Second District Court of Appeals of California, that one of the men, who was surfing the next wave, steered his board directly toward him while he was still paddling.
He recalled how he had to roll off his board to protect himself and how the back of his wrist was still cut by the other man’s board.
Spencer also introduced text messages sent by members of the Bay Boys in his part of the lawsuit, in which local surfers appeared to relish the opportunity to harass him and an acquaintance when they learned the two would be visiting.
“There are two nutcases,” one of the texts referring to Spencer allegedly read.
“They have a little bald white man with them.
‘It looks like a boogie board or holy crap! What a joke!’
One of the members of the elite group allegedly confronted Spencer’s friend next to his car on the cliff where the two had parked, and asked him why they kept coming back.
“We’re going to make it hard for you every time,” said the man, one of the defendants who has since reached a plea deal, according to Spencer.
“This is what we do. It’s not going to get any better for you.”
Both say Palos Verdes Estates, a town of about 13,000 people, has avoided cracking down on the group, which has built a “rock fort” on the beach to hang out in. They also say the town hasn’t acted because it likes to keep visitors away.
Spencer, a lifelong surfer who also worked as a police officer in Los Angeles, felt the need to file the lawsuit, he said, paving the way for Reed to join as well.
Both claim that Palos Verdes Estates, a town of about 13,000 people, has avoided cracking down on the former group, which has built a “rock fort” on the beach to hang out in, according to the lawsuit.
They say the town protects the band as locals, though it also appreciates the fact that they keep outsiders out of town.
If convicted of violating California’s Coastal Act, the last two surfers standing, identified in documents as David Melo and Alan Johnston, could face fines in the tens of millions of dollars.
That’s because the fine for denying another person access to publicly owned water ranges from $1,000 to $15,000 per day — a charge that adds up even with the three-year statute of limitations from the start of the trial in 2016 until now.
“If you harass someone with the intent to prevent their access to the water, that’s a violation of the Coastal Act,” said Kurt Franklin, one of the attorneys for the prosecution. The inertia last week, stating that the activity is still continuing.
If found guilty, the final two surfers identified in the documents as David Melo and Alan Johnston could face fines in the tens of millions of dollars. Lunada Bay, seen here, is located south of Los Angeles, within the wealthy city. It is known for its stunning views and incredible waves.
That’s because the fine for preventing another person from accessing publicly owned water ranges from $1,000 to $15,000 per day, a charge that adds up even with the three-year statute of limitations from the start of the lawsuit in 2016 until now. The top of the cliffs is seen here
Last year, a California appeals court reinstated the lawsuit, finding that the city, as the owner of the land, violated federal law by allowing the unpermitted construction of a rock fort on its property for decades.
As for harassment, the court said it could also be considered contrary to the Coastal Law.
The case continues in the California Court of Appeals.
Lunada Bay, on the other hand, is located south of Los Angeles, in the affluent residential area of Palos Verdes. It is known for its stunning views and incredible waves.
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