(08:56) SANTA CRUZ COUNTY – Two men who have been connected to a hate crime at UC Santa Cruz appeared in court Friday. 24-year-old Jesse Eric Robles of Los Banos and 22-year-old Brandon Wayne Beaton, a former UCSC student from Nevada, are suspected of attacking a man on campus because of his sexual orientation. Robles and Beaton face assault charges in connection with the February incident. Both men have pleaded not guilty. Their preliminary hearing is expected to take place in the coming months. (S.G.)
