Report: Teen Charged With Hate Crimes In Attack On Gay Men Near West Side Nightclub
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- Just days after attending a rally to denounce attacks on gays in New York City, activist Eugene Lovendusky became a victim.
It happened just after 3 a.m. on Saturday; Lovendusky told 1010 WINS Reporter Sonia Rincon that he was walking down the street with a group of friends when a gang of teenagers approached them from behind and taunted them with a homophobic slur.
"Instinctively I turned around, and said something to the effect of 'You can't say that to me', and that earned me a punch in the face," he said.
Teen Arrested For Attack On Gay Men Near West Side Nightclub
The group, which included Lovendusky's boyfriend, and another friend was leaving the XL nightclub and were on their way to a nearby subway station, Gothamist reported.
Police eventually tracked the teenagers down in a pizzeria on West 40th Street. Manuel Riquelme, 19, was charged with assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories
for more features.
