Two Suspects Arrested In Brutal Gay Bashing; Long Beach California Police Continue To Investigate Attack As Hate Crime

Long Beach police are investigating a brutal attack Halloween night on two gay men as a hate crime, officials said. Two Long Beach men, a 19-year-old and 27-year-old, have been arrested and booked for assault with a deadly weapon in the attack, which violent crimes detectives are investigating as a hate crime, said Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman Nancy Pratt. The Contra Costa Times reports that the brazen attack occurred near The Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach in front of several witnesses, who contacted police and paramedics for help, said one of the survivors, who requested his name not be used. Both men sustained moderate injuries and were taken by Long Beach Fire Department Paramedics to a local hospital, where they were still being treated Tuesday night, the survivor said. The attack occurred about 8:15 pm after the two victims, both in their late 50s or early 60s, had left The Center Long Beach. They were approached near Cherry Avenue and Fourth Street by two male suspects, who turned to the men and said, ‘What are you looking at faggots?’ the survivor said. As the two men walked past the suspects, one of them took a cell phone picture of the harassing suspect while the other man was preparing to contact police. But the suspects attacked the men. One of the suspects pushed one of the victim's onto the ground and stomped on the man's hand in an attempt to grab his cell phone. The other suspect knocked the other victim onto the sidewalk before they rolled into the street. When the victim got up and made his way to the sidewalk, the suspect punched him in the face, and the man fell onto the sidewalk and became unconscious, the survivor said. One of the men sustained a cut to his left eyebrow, a bruised hip and blunt trauma to his left hand. The other survivor sustained injuries to his mouth and some damaged teeth, the survivor said. The suspects fled on foot, but were detained and eventually arrested by Long Beach police officers near Third Street and Cherry Avenue, Pratt said. Anyone with any information regarding this incident should contact Violent Crimes Detective Jackie Bezart at 562-570-7250.