Long Beach Man Surrenders in Newport Stabbing

A Long Beach man--who identified himself as president of a family-owned oil company--surrendered to Newport Beach police Monday and was booked on suspicion of stabbing a motorcyclist during a traffic confrontation.

Police said the man, identified as Chris Lee Kozaites, 33, said he owned and drove the car involved in the incident.

Investigators said they are still seeking the passenger in Kozaites’ car, whom witnesses told police may have wielded the knife. “Through Mr. Kozaites’ attorney, we are trying to get the passenger identified,” a police spokesman said.

The victim, Douglas Robert Speth, 25, of Newport Beach, was reported improving Monday, a day after he was admitted to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana in critical condition. A hospital spokesman said Speth was “stable.”

According to Newport Beach police, Speth was riding his motorcycle along Coast Highway about 1:40 a.m. Sunday when he was cut off by a red Corvette. When the car and cycle stopped for the traffic signal at Balboa Boulevard, a fight broke out between Speth and the car’s two occupants, police said.

Speth was stabbed, and the others drove off, police said. Speth was rushed to the hospital’s trauma center.

Police said they received a telephone call Monday morning from a Long Beach attorney, Patrick Madden, who said Kozaites would surrender at the police station at noon.

Kozaites, who according to Department of Motor Vehicle records is also known as Chris Lee Dean, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and released on $10,000 bail.

He admitted owning the Corvette and driving it at the time of the stabbing, but he made no other statements, officers said.

Investigators said they did not know the name of Kozaites’ firm. Neither Kozaites nor his attorney could be reached for comment Monday.