Twelve Salisbury University students have been arrested on hate crime and assault charges after allegedly using a dating app to lure and brutally attack a man at an off-campus apartment, leaving him with a broken rib and extensive bruising, police said Thursday.
The suspects, ranging in age from 18 to 21, were members or associates of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, which has been suspended along with the students. According to police documents, one suspect posed as a 16-year-old on the dating app Grindr to arrange a meeting with the victim on October 15.
“The investigation revealed that the victim was targeted due to his sexual preferences,” Salisbury Police said in a statement. When the victim entered the apartment, police say about 15 men emerged from back bedrooms after someone yelled “YEE YEE!” The group allegedly surrounded the victim, forced him into a chair, and subjected him to punches, kicks, and homophobic slurs.
Police documents detail that one suspect repeatedly struck the victim with a cooking sheet while others prevented his escape attempts. The assault lasted “several minutes” before the victim was allowed to leave. The incident only came to light after witnesses reported seeing videos of the attack, which suspects had allegedly recorded.
“The thought of this happening to anyone — regardless of the circumstances — is dismaying,” Salisbury University President Carolyn Ringer Lepre said, calling the incident “an act of visceral hate.” The university has imposed its “harshest penalties” by suspending both the students and fraternity.
The suspects charged are:
– Ryder Baker, 20
– Bennan Aird, 18
– Riley Brister, 20
– Cruz Cespedes, 19
– Dylan Earp, 20
– Elijah Johnson, 19
– Zachary Leinemann, 18
– Cameron Guy, 18
– Jacob Howard, 19
– Eric Sinclair, 21
– Patrick Gutierrez, 19
– Dylan Pietuszka, 20
Defense attorneys for two suspects contest the hate crime classification. “Once all of the facts see the light of day, this case will be shown to be an ill-advised attempt to expose someone willing to travel to have sexual relations with a 16-year-old child,” attorney James L. Britt told the Baltimore Banner.
All suspects face charges of first-degree assault, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment, and associated hate crimes. One suspect’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 6, with his attorney indicating he will plead not guilty.
The victim told authorities “he was in fear for his life during the entirety of the incident” and believes he was targeted for his sexual orientation. Police say their investigation is ongoing.
Source: toofab
