Prosecutors in New Jersey have charged an 18-year-old man with attempted homicide, robbery, battery, and a hate crime in connection with a violent attack on a Maryland man earlier this year.
New Jersey Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck announced charges against 18-year-old José Tobias Carranza Serrano, AKA Kevin Lopez, in an attack on man in a Baltimore park on June 21. Law enforcement officials allege that Serrano “wanted to kill the victim because he suspected the victim was gay.”
Upon spotting the victim in the park on the evening of June 21, Serrano began punching and kicking him in the face. The attack left the victim with several broken bones and missing several teeth. Serrano then attempted to choke the victim to death before taking a phone and $8 from him. A passer-by discovered the victim unconscious in the park the next morning.
Related: Police arrest machete-wielding teen in possible antigay hate crime
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The New York Daily News reports that the victim, a 37-year-old man, underwent extensive treatment for his injuries at a nearby hospital. His identity has not been made public to protect his privacy.
“We will not tolerate violence targeting the LGBTQ+ community,” Attorney General Bruck declared in a statement. “There is simply no excuse for this type of hate, and we will ensure that those who engage in violence are held fully accountable for their actions.”
If convicted, Serrano could face up to 60 years in prison.
The attack on the Maryland man is just the latest in a number of violent attacks against gay men worldwide. In Spain this year, the murder of a gay nursing student prompted national protests. Just a few months later, another gay man required a wired jaw following a violent assault. In the United States, an attacker stabbed a New York man in the chest while yelling anti-gay slurs. Also in New York, a gay doctor suffered a smashed jaw after enduring an attack in a subway station. In Atlanta, a gay man continues to recover after attackers beat him and left him for dead on a set of railroad tracks.
James
EXECUTE THE CREEP.
miller2900
AMEN!
GrizzleyMichael
James I agree with you
whereshouldistart
Yeah!
Let’s kill people who attempt to kill people so we can show the world how wrong it is to kill people!
James
whereshouldistart
YEAH RIGHT, YOU LOVE LOSERS.
Matthewnow
Put him in prison with the rumor he’s a child molester. He won’t last a week.
Fahd
This story mixes up the facts. The attacker is from Baltimore, Maryland, but the crime happened in a park in New Jersey. The victim is not from Maryland. I reviewed the newspaper accounts, because it seemed strange to me that a New Jersey prosecutor would be handling a crime that occurred in Baltimore – he wouldn’t = this story is inaccurate and misreports the facts.
In any case, I’m a strong believer that no one is beyond redemption, and maybe we can blame society for instilling this level of homophobic hatred in the 18-year-old criminal, but this is such a senseless brutal crime that I would have a hard time setting aside my passions if I were the one who had to decide the perpetrator’s guilt or to sentence him.
miller2900
Fahd….. since I wouldn’t have any idea of your generation I do have to say “in my opinion” that part of our problems in society is that we’ve all gotten just a little too “forgiving”. In this case involving an 18-year-old attacker that apparently attempted murder there is no “forgiving” or “redemption”! Once you’re dead you’re dead and the murderer needs to be held fully accountable for life! To me only the victim (if they survived) should be able to decide anything less. In the case of death, only the victim’s family should be able to decide a lesser sentence. Thankfully you stated you would have a hard time setting aside your “passions” when it came to deciding guilt or sentencing. Far too many juries seem to forget dead is dead and there is no coming back for the victim or their loved ones.
dali
You’re correct. James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park is in New Jersey, not in Maryland.
Vince
It’s funny how I managed to get through my whole life without trying to murder everyone that pissed me off.
You can’t fix this POS and it’s only a matter of time before he kills if they let him out.
JJinAus
If I beat up or killed everyone who annoyed me, the streets would run with blood. However, I am a civilised person and resist the temptation.
Hussain-TheCanadian
I look forward to the day a headline would read:
“Gay man breaks jaw, back, arms and legs of attempted attacker”.
I wish my gay brother in the article a speedy recovery, and a life full of misery for the disgusting coward attacker.
winemaker
If this happened to me or anyone in my family, justice would be swift. We wouldn’t wait around for some liberal namby pamby bleeding heart judge to give the bastard a slap on the wrist or some short term insulting sentence and justice would be meted out immediately. Cousins Sal or Tommi would pay him a friendly visit and would rearrange his face or break his knees and make him rue the day he messed with me or anyone in my family. We Italians always get justice rather than let the courts drag things on for years thus saving the taxpayers from having to support amoeba like this.
Sanjo
Maybe the perp was a “Sal” or “Tommi,” and he didn’t want to wait for society to eliminate LGBTQ+ folks. Vigilante justice should have no legitimate place in society.
TomG
Sadly he learned his attitude from someone, most likely his parents. And I’ll bet he calls himself a Christian as well.
letthemeatcake
Maybe we’ll all get lucky and this pile of feces will “die in it’s cell”. At the very least-justice would be served.