White supremacists get 6 years for May hate attack

Self-proclaimed white supremacists Ryan Joseph Swanson, 19, of Huntington Beach and Nicholas Tyler Gibbs, 20, of Anaheim pleaded guilty Wednesday for attacking a Seal Beach man, police said.

Swanson and Gibbs attacked Ryan Honeycutt in May after learning he was half Salvadoran, the Orange County District Attorney’s office said in a news release.

Swanson and Gibbs helped Honeycutt jump-start his car before going to a friend’s residence, when they learned of Honeycutt’s descent and shared that they were supremacists, authorities said; they both have white supremacy tattoos.

After luring Honeycutt outside and breaking his clavicle, as well as giving him a concussion, authorities said the duo left him on the ground and stole his car, keys, wallet and mobile phone.

They were given felony counts of aggravated assault and unlawful taking of a vehicle, as well as a misdemeanor count of battery with serious bodily injury. They received sentencing enhancements for committing a hate crime in concert with another, and causing great bodily injury.

Each man was sentenced to six years in state prison.

— Candice Baker