The four suspects | Photo: YouTube/CBS Miami
A day of celebration for Miami’s LGBTI community turned ugly when four men attacked a gay couple during pride this weekend.
While walking home, four anonymous men attacked Rene Chalarca and his boyfriend, Dmitry Logunov, without provocation. They were holding hands when the men confronted them.
Chalarca and Logunov suffered numerous cuts and bruises. Another man, Helmut Muller, become unconscious when he struck his head after intervening.
According to the Miami Beach Police’s Twitter account, the four men surrendered through an attorney.
UPDATE: The 4 subjects have just surrendered @ MBPD through an attorney.
We anticipate felony charges for each of them. https://t.co/OUUKUPd3gl
— Miami Beach Police (@MiamiBeachPD) April 10, 2018
Jail records identify the men as: Adonis David Diaz, 21, Juan Carlos Lopez, 21, Luis M. Alonso Piovet, 20 and Pablo Reinaldo Romo-Figueroa, 21.
They are charged with three counts of aggravated battery and held on bonds of $7,500.
As of Wednesday (11 April) morning, their bonds allowed them to get out of jail.
Though the police have not labeled the incident as a hate crime, Officer Ernesto Rodriguez confirmed that anti-gay slurs in Spanish were used.
This violence needs to end
2017 was the deadliest year on record for LGBTI people within the United States. It is an alarming trend and an 86% increase from similar violence in 2016.
Though this incident did not result in any deaths, it is still an alarming continuation of the violence LGBTI people face.
Logunov told he reporters he believed he and his boyfriend were attacked because of their sexuality.
‘We probably provoked them because we were walking together, holding hands,’ he said. ‘It was gay pride, South Beach was full of gay people.’
H/t: Sun Sentinel
