Brutal Gay Bashing Sparked By Suspected Butt Touch Documents Show
August 15, 2006 - 1:00 pm ET
(Santa Fe, New Mexico) The kidnapping and repeated beating of a gay Santa Fe man to "scare him straight" was sparked by the belief he had touched the behind of one of the accused assailants court documents show.
William York, 21, Leroy Segura, 19, and two minors - a boy and a girl - are charged with kidnapping, aggravated battery causing great bodily injury, false imprisonment and conspiracy.
The 18-year old victim and a female friend - their names have not been released for their own security - had gone to a party at a local home but when they tried to leave the four became verbally abusive. When they managed to get outside the group jumped them.
They were held and the gay man was beaten by the suspects who said that they were going to beat him straight. The beatings continued throughout the night and into the next morning.
The victim suffered bleeding on the brain and a concussion as well as facial lacerations and bruising. He has since been released from an area hospital.
A statement of probable cause, filed by the prosecutor in state District Court says York told police that he was told by Segura that the victim had tried to grab his butt.
York said he had not felt a grope but was upset by what Segura had told him.
The statement also says York told police that everyone at the party was making fun of the 18-year-old man because he was gay and that he wanted to "scare [him] to make him straight and to get him to stop acting the way he was.''
The statement goes on to quote from an interview given to police by the minor male in the case where the youth said he, York and Segura tied down the victim, placed a torn T-shirt over his face, dragged him to a deserted field and began beating him.
The juvenile allegedly told police that he egged on York by using Spanish homophobic slurs.
August 15, 2006 - 1:00 pm ET
(Santa Fe, New Mexico) The kidnapping and repeated beating of a gay Santa Fe man to "scare him straight" was sparked by the belief he had touched the behind of one of the accused assailants court documents show.
William York, 21, Leroy Segura, 19, and two minors - a boy and a girl - are charged with kidnapping, aggravated battery causing great bodily injury, false imprisonment and conspiracy.
The 18-year old victim and a female friend - their names have not been released for their own security - had gone to a party at a local home but when they tried to leave the four became verbally abusive. When they managed to get outside the group jumped them.
They were held and the gay man was beaten by the suspects who said that they were going to beat him straight. The beatings continued throughout the night and into the next morning.
The victim suffered bleeding on the brain and a concussion as well as facial lacerations and bruising. He has since been released from an area hospital.
A statement of probable cause, filed by the prosecutor in state District Court says York told police that he was told by Segura that the victim had tried to grab his butt.
York said he had not felt a grope but was upset by what Segura had told him.
The statement also says York told police that everyone at the party was making fun of the 18-year-old man because he was gay and that he wanted to "scare [him] to make him straight and to get him to stop acting the way he was.''
The statement goes on to quote from an interview given to police by the minor male in the case where the youth said he, York and Segura tied down the victim, placed a torn T-shirt over his face, dragged him to a deserted field and began beating him.
The juvenile allegedly told police that he egged on York by using Spanish homophobic slurs.
