Bail set at $600,000 in bat attack

Monday, Oct. 4, 2004 | 10:55 a.m.

Bail was at $600,000 this morning for an 18-year-old man accused of beating a group of women with a baseball bat at a park two weeks ago.

Elvin Avila is charged with four counts of battery with a deadly weapon, two counts of battery with substantial bodily harm and two counts of attempted robbery for the Sept. 16 attack in Shadow Rock Park at Los Feliz Street and Carey Avenue near Sunrise Mountain.

Avila was arrested Sept. 23. Metro Police officials say he gave full confession to officers. Authorities said Avila told them he was sorry for the attack and that he was drunk and angry that the group of girls had videotaped him and his friends.

Avila gave police the names of the three other people who were with him that night and police may make additional arrests, according to authorities.

Kristen Berwald suffered a fractured skull and may have permanent hearing loss in her left ear from the beating. Deanna Saavedra, 21, the woman who captured part of the attack with her video camera, needed three stitches to close a wound under her eye and suffered other injuries.

The other women did not require medical attention.