Four arrested for luring, attacking gay man in NYC
Police: Attackers allegedly lured men through internet?
NEW YORK (AP)
Four young men were arrested for luring a gay man to a remote location with an online promise of a sexual encounter, then attempting to rob him — an incident that left the victim in critical condition after he ran into traffic to escape the attack, a police commander said Wednesday.
The four, who range in age from 16 to 20, were arrested late Tuesday, according to a police commander who spoke on condition of anonymity because the charges were still pending. Police had said they were investigating the Sunday attack as a possible bias incident, but it remained unclear whether the four would be charged with a bias crime.
Michael Sandy, 28, remained in critical condition after the confrontation spilled onto a parkway and he was hit by a vehicle as he tried to escape, the commander said. That vehicle fled the scene, and police were also searching for the driver.
The four attackers, who said they were heterosexual, made incriminating statements and indicated they had previously used the internet to lure and attack gay men, the commander said.
The commander said one of the men had met Sandy on a street corner and convinced him to drive to an isolated parking lot in New York's Brooklyn borough, where the other three were waiting. His car was later discovered at the former rest stop near Plumb Beach, New York, with the motor still running.
The spot, just east of Sheepshead Bay, New York, is known as a gathering point for illicit drug use and sexual encounters, officials said.
Witnesses told police the dispute spilled onto the six-lane Belt Parkway and halted traffic as Sandy backed away from his assailants when they grabbed at him. A motorist who was forced to stop said Sandy was struck after breaking free and ending up in a lane where cars were still moving.
The four, who were not identified by police, were expected to be arraigned later Wednesday.
Man Is Forced Onto Highway and Hit by a Car in Brooklyn New York Times
Gay 'Bias' Victim Clinging To Life New York Post
Cops: Bias may have sparked attack Newsday
Posted by bernie at October 11, 2006 10:40 AMthere's no words to express the degree of this tragedy.
why isn't flogging legal in the US? when one commits a violent crime against another restitution should include some form of physical punishment.
Posted by: Shawn at October 12, 2006 10:34 AM