Source: Washington Blade
One of five youths arrested for assaulting and robbing a gay man on a Metro subway train on Dec. 8 said the youths targeted Nathaniel Salerno, 25, for a mugging because he appeared drunk, not because of his sexual orientation, according to documents filed in D.C. Superior Court.
“The defendant denies that he or any of the other suspects made any comments about the victim’s sexuality,” says a Metro police affidavit in support of an arrest warrant for Tarus R. Stroddard, 18, of Oxon Hill, Md.
Court records show that Metro police charged Stroddard on Dec. 19 with robbery by force and violence in connection with the Metro train incident, which occurred on a deserted subway car minutes before it stopped at the Smithsonian station about 1:40 a.m., court documents show. [see Qnews summary]
A statement issued by Metro Transit officials on Dec. 28 says Metro police arrested four male juveniles on the same charge after Stroddard implicated them in the attack against Salerno. Salerno told the Blade shortly after the incident that the youths repeatedly called him a “faggot” while they assaulted him.
Metro spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said Metro police initially listed the incident as only an assault and robbery but later, following news media interviews with Salerno, changed the report to list the incident as a bias motivated crime related to Salerno’s status as a gay man. However, police charging documents filed in court do not include a hate crime classification.
Channing Phillips, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office, said facts related to a possible hate crime would be presented by prosecutors to a grand jury, which would determine if enough evidence exists to charge Stroddard with a hate crime.
The police affidavit filed against Stroddard says Stroddard admitted to committing the assault and robbery against Salerno after Stroddard was arrested for an unrelated subway mugging on Dec. 13. The affidavit says Stroddard identified the other four juveniles involved in the incident and they, too, confessed to their involvement.
Under D.C.’s juvenile offenders law, authorities are prohibited from releasing any information about the status of juveniles arrested in crimes.
Full article: Washington Blade Online