Charges Filed in Paps Scuffle on Point Dume

• Two Locals Told to Appear in Court

BY HANS LAETZ

Misdemeanor battery charges have been filed against two Malibu men in connection with the now infamous shoving match between paparazzi and local beachgoers at Little Dume Beach on June 21.
Skylar Martin Peak, 24, and Philip John Hildebrand, 30, were not arrested, but letters was sent to them Tuesday by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, directing them to appear for arraignment in Malibu court on Oct. 14.
The men could be sentenced to a maximum of six months in jail and a $2000 fine if convicted, but such sentences are rarely imposed unless defendants have a prior record of similar offenses.
The victim, Richid Altmbareckouhammou, who was working for a French news agency at the time, was thrown into the water by the defendants on that Saturday afternoon, authorities claim.
That was the first skirmish between the beachgoers and a dozen paparazzi who showed up to photograph actor Matthew McConaughey surfing.
A second contretemps the next day remains under investigation, officials said.
Video of the incident was posted on websites, but local residents complained the tape was edited to remove provocations by the photographers.
The entire incident gained worldwide attention and prompted Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich to publicly call for study of a potential ordinance regulating paparazzi. That effort, assisted by Pepperdine University law professors, continues, although support for it from the other four city council members appears to be weak.