One of three young men accused of randomly attacking boys at a Redmond playground was spared prison for pleading guilty Wednesday in Deschutes County Circuit Court.

Isiah Kane Laack, 18, was given five years probation for using brass knuckles as he and two young men — who at the time lived with Laack in the same foster home — assaulted a group of 15-year-olds playing tag. Judge A. Michael Adler was “satisfied” with the guilty plea Laack negotiated with the state to plead to third-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

“Good luck to you,” Adler told him. “You’ve got a lot of people supporting you. And if you need any more motivation, you’ve got a prison sentence hanging over your head.”

The conditions of Laack’s probation include not taking drugs (including marijuana) and not contacting any of the victims or his co-defendants. If he violates probation, he could be sentenced to 19 to 24 months in prison.

During his probation, Laack will, for a time, be monitored by both Deschutes County Parole and Probation and the Oregon Youth Authority, the latter a result of an assault conviction as a minor.

A co-defendant, Noah Huber, 18, is scheduled to enter a plea Friday. He’s accused of the more serious crime of second-degree assault, a crime that in Oregon carries lengthy prison terms under Oregon’s Measure 11 sentencing law for violent crimes.

Huber got much blame Wednesday in Adler’s courtroom.

“Mr. Laack had done well (in foster home placement) until Mr. Huber moved in the home,” said Kirsten Naito, deputy district attorney.

Laack also could have been charged with Measure 11 offenses, but District Attorney John Hummel’s office took into consideration the man’s young age, his progress to date in foster care and the fact that Laack was not the principal aggressor in the December attack, Naito said.

None of the four victims attended the sentencing, though all testified to a grand jury prior to Laack’s indictment.

A guardian for one of the victims, a grandmother, did testify.

Lori Owen described how her grandson had been seriously impacted by the attack.

She said the boy agreed with the decision to not charge Laack with a Measure 11 crime.

“My idea would have been Measure 11,” Owen said. “But (my grandson) thought that would have been too much.”

By Dec. 2, the day of the attack, Huber had lived in the foster home of Donna and Rex Harris for only seven days. Laack had been there since early 2016.

That day, Huber, Laack and an unnamed juvenile co-defendant left the home on foot, Naito said in court. Huber had a box cutter. Laack had a set of brass knuckles with a retractable knife. They were wearing bandannas over their faces when they walked near American Legion Park and a group of four boys playing tag.

Without a clear motive, Huber ran and attacked one of the victims with the box cutter, puncturing the boy’s leg, according to Naito. Another boy came to his friend’s defense and a quick fight ensued.

Laack brandished his weapon during the attack, but did not use it.

Laack’s attorney, Leslie Nitcher, said her client is a “follower,” who was born with vision and neurological problems associated with his mother’s methamphetamine use. In his previous assault conviction, he was again following along, and wasn’t the “assaultive party,” Nitcher said.

“When Mr. Huber rushed in and hit (the victim), Mr. Laack stood there,” Nitcher said. “And when the other fought back, he ran away and fled.”

On Wednesday, Laack wore a white button-down shirt buttoned to the top and untucked. He told Adler he was sorry “for what I have done.”

“I would like to prove to myself and the court that I can make something of myself,” he said.

Donna Harris said she and her husband have hosted many difficult cases over 30 years as foster parents. They said Laack had one of the “roughest” starts in their home. But he also has come further than about anyone in terms of character development.

“We would love to have him back because I actually love him,” Harris said.

Harris said Huber and the other co-defendant are not welcome back in her home.

— Reporter: 541-383-0325, gandrews@bendbulletin.com