Illinois man held on $1 million bail for alleged anti-gay attack
A 19-year-old man has been held on $1 million bail after an alleged anti-gay attack that sent the victim to the hospital. Decatur police allege Ethan Dickerson restrained and hit the victim repeatedly with a pipe wrench Thursday at a Decatur home.
Authorities said Dickerson allegedly threatened to kill the victim in a homophobic rant, according to The (Decatur) Herald & Review.
"'You know why I have to do this. ... You're gay. ... You're evil ... I'm going to kill you,'" a police affidavit quoted Dickerson telling the victim, the Herald & Review reported.
Dickerson faced preliminary charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated unlawful restraint, home invasion, and a hate crime. The charges will be reviewed by the state's attorney's office.
Police found the victim in the kitchen with multiple lacerations on the head an a "significant" amount of blood loss. The victim was transported to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries that required stitches.
Dickerson appeared in court Friday morning for a bond hearing, CBS affiliate WCIA-TV reported.
It was immediately unclear if Dickerson had an attorney. A listed phone number for him could not be located Sunday.
