Man arrested for beating 63-year-old with guitar in homophobic attack
A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a suspected hate crime.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office arrested Daniel Joseph Garcia on suspicion of beating a 63-year-old man in a homophobic attack.
The man, from Santa Paula, had homophobic slurs and abuse shouted at him and was beaten with a guitar.
He was left with a traumatic injury and was hospitalised because of the attack.
The attack occurred at approximately one o’clock in the afternoon on April 15th on a busy highway close to Refugio State Beach.
Several hours after the attack, Garcia was arrested for an unrelated assault and was found to be carrying a deadly weapon and was driving under the influence.
Officer attempted to arrest Garcia a few weeks after the attack but were unable to find him at his home, because he was being held in custody in Monterey County on different charges.
It is believed that he will be charged with a hate crime.
Mr Gardella and Mr Boffa, aged 25 and 26, challenged the youths after they were referred to as “faggots” for wearing skinny jeans.
The kids continued to refer to them using homophobic slurs, however – and pursued the couple down the street, throwing bricks at them.
In the first few weeks following the American election results, over 700 incidents of harassment were reported.
Anti-immigrant incidents are most reported. Anti-black, anti-LGBT, swasktisa vandalism, anti-muslim and anti-woman attacks follow anti-immigrants attacks follow in order of frequency.
A gay couple had their car vandalised with homophobic slurs which said “die homo” and “faggot” and believe the attack related to the outcome of the election.
A seperate gay, married couple had the front door of their apartment defaced on Friday with homophobic slurs. “Fags” was written in marker pen across the door of their shared apartment in Michigan.
