Santa cruz man charged with federal hate crime for attempting to stab black man

Santa Cruz Man Charged with Federal Hate Crime for Attempting to Stab Black Man

SANTA CRUZ, CA – Ole Hougen has been charged with a federal hate crime for attacking a black man with a knife on a street in Santa Cruz, announced U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge John L. Bennett.

Hougen, 44, of Santa Cruz, Calif., was charged by criminal complaint with willfully attempting to cause bodily injury by using a dangerous weapon because of a person’s actual or perceived race and color.  According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Hougen confronted a 29-year-old black man who was crossing a street in Santa Cruz.  Hougen took out a nine-inch knife and slashed at the man’s head, chest, and stomach multiple times while yelling racial slurs at him.  At the time of the attack, Hougen was on probation for state convictions involving a racially-motivated assault on a different black man in 2018.  The complaint also describes two additional racially-motivated assaults against black men committed by Hougen in 2014 and 2018.

Hougen is charged with violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 249. The charge in the complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.  Hougen faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted.

Assistant United States Attorney Marissa Harris and Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.  The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Santa Cruz Police Department.

Shore News Network

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.