Assault victim files lawsuit

Tuesday, April 13, 2004 | 9:45 a.m.

A 21-year-old man who was beat up at a party last year is suing 14 alleged members of the 311 Boyz gang and their parents.

The suit stems from a May attack on Sean Quinn and his friend James Sarlo at a desert area known as "the basin" near the Las Vegas Beltway and Centennial Parkway. Quinn suffered a broken jaw and nose, and now has a permanent plate in his jaw.

A jury convicted alleged 311 Boyz member Steven Gazlay, 19, of hitting Quinn and Sarlo with a crowbar in the attack, which involved multiple teens. Adam "Taz" Henry, 23, who authorities believe started the attack on Quinn, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and is on probation. Both are named in the suit.

The suit, filed by attorney Eric Daly on Quinn's behalf, says the alleged 311 Boyz named in the suit conspired and acted together to "cause injury to others."

In the lawsuit, Daly alleges that Gazlay "is guilty of oppression, fraud or malice, express or implied" for his part in the attack and that all of the other defendants conspired with Gazlay to injure Quinn and others. Daly also says the defendants are guilty of negligence, civil conspiracy, concert of action, violation of Nevada racketeering laws, and negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress. The suit lists several fights and specific charges that have been brought against the boys in the suit by prosecutors.

The amount of money sought by Quinn is not specified in the lawsuit, but Daly writes that under Nevada's racketeering law Quinn is entitled to three times the actual damages he sustained. He asks for medical costs, attorney fees, exemplary and punitive damages.

The 311 Boyz received national attention last summer as prosecutors described the all-white, middle class group of young men as a gang that videotaped fights for fun.

Included in the list of attacks is one that left 17-year-old Stephen Tanner Hansen with a crushed face. All nine young men charged in that case -- Gazlay, 19, Ernest Bradley Aguilar, 17; Jeff Hart, 18; 16-year-old twins Anthony and Brandon Gallion; Mathew Costello, 17; Christopher Farley, 18; Dominic Harriman, 19, and Scott Morse, 18 -- are now also defendants in Quinn's lawsuit.

The young men named in the suit also include Kyle Hadley, Chad Cladderbuck, Joseph Trujillo and Thomas Geick. All four have pleaded guilty to battery charges in connection to a July 3 fight taped with a camcorder.

District Judge Valerie Adair delayed sentencing Gazlay for the third time in the attack on Quinn Friday after his attorney, Louis Palazzo, asked for a new trial on the basis of a new eyewitness who Palazzo says can exonerate Gazlay in the attack.

Adair did rule Gazlay guilty of the felony counts of battery with use of a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon and ordered Gazlay jailed until a May 14 hearing on the motion for a new trial.

Gazlay was scheduled to appear before District Judge Valerie Vega this morning to set a trial in a case in which he is accused of burning another teen with a butter knife.