Former Hells Angels president surrenders at Ala Moana Park

The former president of the San Diego Hells Angels surrendered Thursday night to federal and local authorities at Ala Moana Beach Park, ending a monthlong trans-Pacific manhunt.

Stephen Sanders, 42, was wanted on a California state warrant for charges in connection with the 2007 robbery and kidnapping of a fellow Hells Angels member, FBI Special Agent Tom Simon said.

A warrant was issued for Sanders in California last month. The FBI in Honolulu became involved because some federal experts on motorcycle gangs in Honolulu still have contacts in California and learned after the warrant was issued that Sanders was hiding on Oahu.

Sanders was one of four men wanted for the 2007 incident, according to a report last month in the San Diego Union Tribune. The four men are accused of kidnapping, torturing, assaulting, and robbing a member who informed the club that he wanted to leave the club.

The man was beaten and his Hells Angels tattoos, which ran up three sides of his neck and both arms, were tattooed over. The assailants forced him to sign over the title to his motorcycle, the newspaper reported.

Sanders was also wanted in connection with a separate attack on a motorcyclist in May 2010. Another Hells Angels member was upset with the man because his ex-girlfriend was sending the victim sexually explicit text messages, the paper reported.

Sanders allegedly shipped the victim’s bike to Honolulu for the president of the local chapter of the Wrecking Machine, another motorcycle gang, to pick up. The bike was shipped back to San Diego about six months later and was left on the front lawn of the victim’s old address, the paper said.

Sanders’ son, Shane, 23, was charged in the assault.

Intermediaries, who asked to remain anonymous, arranged Sanders’ surrender and informed the FBI Thursday afternoon that he would give himself up at the park at 6:15 p.m.

Authorities arrested him without incident at the agreed upon time.

Police will hold him overnight, and he likely appear in court this morning before being extradited to California to face charges there, Simon said.