Last month after a night of drinking, David Blair, 31, and Brandon Washington, 25, thought it’d be a hoot to pull a prank on their passed-out friend, Steven Iorio, 37. Only instead of drawing a penis on his face or putting his hand in warm water, they decided to douse him in Bacardi and set his pants on fire. Why? Because Iorio is gay.
According to WPXI:
Heidelberg, [PA,] police have charged Brandon Washington and David Blair with aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation. An eyewitness told investigators that the men poured a bottle of rum on Iorio and then lit him on fire while he was sleeping because he is gay. “They wrote disturbing things on his pants and drew on his face,” said Cook.
Thankfully Iorio survived, but with a second-degree burn, pain and mounting medical bills to remind him of the incident.
Now Washington and Blair Jr. are being charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and ethnic intimidation, which we guess is the closest thing they have to a hate-crime law in Heidelberg.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Source: WPXI and ChartiersValley.Patch.com via Unicorn Booty
sideliner
With “friends” like those, who needs enemies?
Hyhybt
I can’t come up with any way of stretching the definition of “friend” to include “person who intentionally sets you on fire” and have it retain any meaning at all.
Willy
Yeah, I know people (and call a few my friends) that would think this is a good idea after a few, but I can’t understand how this had anything to do with sexuality. If it was because he is gay, why were they hanging around with him?
MattGMD
I hit the WPXI link and the reporter said the two firebugs (my term, not hers) were “issued summonses” to appear w/those charges instead of being arrested and charged. Doesn’t sound like much of police dept. so I hope the prosecutor takes it more seriously.
Btseven
Setting someone on fire is not a prank. Lorio had a second degree burn is all, good thing it wasn’t a disfiguring 3rd degree burn. Where I think the appropriate punishment for the perpetrators would be to have their junk mutilated, so they can tell their female friends what happened the rest of their life. While this may sound harsh.. I have had a 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my body all at the same time. I know the pain he is feeling.
Mav
This has nothing to do with Lorio being gay, and everything to do with Lorio hanging out with drunk morons.