By Marie McCain
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Opening statements began Wednesday in the trial of a 17-year-old boy accused of participating in the racially motivated beating of an African-American man in Northside.

The prosecution believes Kevin Carroll, who is white, was among four people who attacked Theodore Jenkins, 44, with a club and stabbed him four times on Nov. 24, 2001.

The Northside teen is charged with felonious assault and ethnic intimidation.

His attorney, Herbert Haas, said Wednesday that his client was at home asleep at the time of the alleged incident and that this is a case of mistaken identity.

Mr. Jenkins had been walking home from his Camp Washington job shortly before 2:30 a.m. when he was attacked in the 3900 block of Colerain Avenue by a group of white people. He told police his attackers used racial slurs during the incident.

Police arrested three men and one woman, days after the incident, and charged them with hate crimes.

Mr. Jenkins has recovered from his injuries.

A co-defendant, Joshua Yaden, 16, of Northside, pleaded guilty Tuesday to felonious assault in the attack in exchange for the dismissal of the ethnic intimidation statute.

Two others arrested in the attack, Calvin Cooper, 22, of Northside and Christina Noel, 23, of Groesbeck go to trial on felonious assault and ethnic intimidation charges next week.

Mr. Carroll's trial resumes today before Visiting Judge Richard ParrottE-mail: mmccain@enquirer.com