Alleged Hells Angel pleads not guilty

A Rancho Santa Margarita man accused of being involved in a biker brawl in a Newport Beach bar in July pleaded not guilty Thursday, and a second defendant also linked to the case postponed his arraignment until next month.

Rodrigo Requejo, 34, pleaded not guilty Thursday and has a pretrial hearing scheduled for November on felony charges of assault and battery and street terrorism for his alleged involvement with the Hells Angels biker gang during a July 27 brawl inside Blackie’s by the Sea in Newport Beach.

Requejo is one of eight men charged so far related to a fight involving the Hells Angels and members of the Set Free Soldiers, a group that considers itself a Christian ministry, but police call a gang like the Hells Angels.

After Requejo threw the first punch, according to the affidavit, chaos ensued.

One member of the Set Free Soldiers stabbed two men from the Hells Angels, and one Hells Angels member grabbed a cue ball from a pool table and smashed it into a Set Free Soldiers member’s face, police said.

Witnesses said the fight was brief, and those involved left when they learned police were coming.

Brian Heslington was also due to be arraigned Thursday because of his alleged involvement in the incident. He opted to push his arraignment back to Oct. 1.

He faces felony charges of street terrorism and drug possession.

Several members of the Set Free Soldiers are expected to be arraigned next week.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].