Four men accused of gay attack could face hate crime charges
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Four men could be charged with a hate crime after being accused of shouting anti-gay slurs while attacking two men following Miami Beach's gay pride parade.
The suspects surrendered to police Tuesday afternoon, after surveillance video captured them punching two men in the face and knocking them to the ground. The beating left the victims with multiple cuts and bruises. One of the men was briefly knocked out, an arrest report said.
The victims told investigators they were holding hands after leaving a bathroom area along the city's busy Ocean Avenue on Sunday when the men approached, calling them an anti-gay slur in Spanish and attacking them physically.
A good Samaritan who tried to intervene also was attacked, Miami Beach police said.
The Miami Herald reports Helmut Muller tried to help the victims. He told police he chased after the attackers and told them to wait for police to arrive, but they surrounded him and knocked him down.
Charged in the attack are Juan Carlos Lopez, 21; Luis M. Alonso Piovet, 20; Adonis Diaz, 21; and Pablo Reinaldo Romo-Figueroa.
They are charged with aggravated battery, but the charges could be enhanced under state law if they are classified as hate crimes.
On Tuesday evening, State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle tweeted that the agency's "Hate Crimes Unit will evaluate this incident thoroughly." She said investigators are working with Miami Beach police.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said the attack "was despicable to see and hear about, especially during a week when we celebrate our diversity."
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The Gayly. April 11, 2018. 11:01 a.m. CST.