Laguna Niguel Stabbing Murder Not a Hate Crime, Say Police

The Laguna Niguel stabbing death of a 22-year-old man is not considered a hate crime despite claims by the victims’ loved ones that the killing was racially motivated.

Craig Matthew Tanber, a 37-year-old member of a prominent Orange County white supremacist gang has been charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of Shayan Mazroei at Patsy’s Irish Pub in Laguna Niguel on the Sept. 8.

At a vigil outside Mazroie’s home, friends and loved ones lamented the senselessness of the tragedy, calling it an act of racism.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen,” Mazroie’s girlfriend Madelyn Leggard told KTLA. “It was a racist act, and this isn’t the type of thing that should happen to a 22-year-old kid.”

George Hansell, who was at Patsy’s Irish Pub on the night of the stabbing said he heard a friend of Tanber complaining about Mazroie, who often played pool at the pub. The woman said, “”I don’t like that guy.’ I’m like, ‘which guy,’ and she said ‘That Iranian.’ I don’t want to use the word that she said,” Hansell told KTLA.

According to investigators, the Tanber and Mazroei went outside to fight over a girl.

“By all accounts (the victim) was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Larry Yellin.

A friend of Tanber’s apparently said something rude to the victim, prompting a response from him that angered the defendant, Yellin said. Tanber then allegedly punched and stabbed Mazroei twice in the upper chest area, Yellin said.

Authorities say they have no evidence that race was a factor in the attack despite claims by Mazroie’s loved ones that he was the victim of racial malice.

If evidence surfaced that race was a motive in the stabbing, charges could be amended to include a hate crime, but “Right now there is no evidence to support that,” said Susan Kang Schroeder, chief of staff at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Tanber is charged with murder with sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a knife and prior strike convictions. Prior to the stabbing, he was on parole for the April 4, 2004 beating death of 26-year-old Cory Lamons in Huntington Beach.

Tanber pleaded guilty Feb. 2, 2007 to voluntary manslaughter and admitted sentencing enhancements for doing so to benefit a street gang, according to court records. He also pleaded guilty to dissuading a witness by force, street terrorism and assault with a deadly weapon or force likely to produce great bodily injury. Tanber was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

He also has prior strike convictions for residential burglary in 2001, and he is accused of serving a prison term for one year or more and not remaining free for more than five years.

Tanber is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 2. His bail remains at $1 million.

City News Service contributed to this report. Photo: Justice for Shayan Mazroei Facebook page.