Bronx Gang Tortures Two Teens, Man For Being Gay

Jim Burroway

October 9th, 2010

Suspected Bronx Gang members being led to a police station after a series of anti-gay attacks in the Bronx.

Six of seven suspected Bronx gang members being led to a police station after a series of anti-gay attacks in the Bronx.

Nine men ranging from ages 16 to 23 years old abducted two teenage boys, and took them to an abandoned apartment in the Bronx, where they beat them and sodomized one until the boys admitted having sex with a 30-year-old man.They then lured the 30-year-old man to the same apartment, by telling him there was a house party going on and instructed him to bring plenty of liquor. Once the man arrived:

The attackers forced the man to strip to his underwear and tied him to a chair, the police said. One of the teenage victims was still there, and the “Goonies” ordered him to attack the man. The teenager hit him in the face and burned him with a cigarette on his nipple and penis as the others jeered and shouted gay slurs, the police said. Then the attackers whipped the man with a chain and sodomized him with a small baseball bat.

The beatings and robberies went on for hours. They were followed by a remarkably thorough attempt to sanitize the house — including pouring bleach down drains, the police said, as little by little word of the attacks trickled to the police. A crucial clue to the attackers was provided by someone who slipped a note to a police officer outside the crime scene, at 1910 Osborne Place in Morris Heights, near Bronx Community College.

The apartment building where the attacks took place

The apartment building where the attacks took place.

Police commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, “”These suspects deployed terrible, wolf-pack odds of nine against one, which revealed them as predators whose crimes were as cowardly as they were despicable.” Police say that that attacks were motivated by hatred towards the homosexuality of the victims, and was not a part of an initiation.

Seven suspects have been arrested on Thursday an Friday, and two are still being sought by police. According to the New York Times, the group were not part of a formal gang, but adopted the nickname of Latin King Goonies. They hatched the plan last Saturday after one member of the group saw the 30-year-old man, who was known as being gay, with a 17-year-old who wanted to join the group. (The age of consent in New York is seventeen).

That first 17-year-old was abducted at about 3:30 am on Sunday morning, taken to an abandoned apartment, made to strip naked, beaten, slashed with a box cutter, and sodomized with the wooden handle of a plunger, and hit in the head with a can of bear. After the teen admitted having sex with the 30-year-old, the gang let him loose and warned him not to say anything. The teen walked to a hospital for treatment, where he said he had been jumped by strangers and robbed.

Later on Sunday evening, the gang abducted a second 17-year-old and beat him until he admitted to having sex with the 30-year-old. They held him while they lured the older man to what they said was a party. He brought with him ten large cans of Four Loko malt liquor. As soon as he arrived he was seized, stripped to his underwear, and tied to a chair opposite the teen. The gang then ordered the second teen to beat him and burn him with a cigarette. The gang joined in the beating using fists and chains. The beating reportedly lasted for hours as the attackers forced the man to drink all ten cans of malt liquor.The man was also sodomized with a baseball bat.

During that ordeal, five of the gang members went to the man’s house which he shared with his 40-year-old brother. They got inside using a key they got from the 30-year-old, where they found his brother in bed. They put a blanket over his head, beat him, and demanded money. The man complied when they put a cell phone to the his ear and he heard his younger brother on the line who pleaded, “Give them the money.” The brother was then tied with rope and tape.

About three hours later, he was able to free himself and call police, but he left out the fact that his brother was being held. As detectives were later leaving the older brother’s home on Monday morning, they saw the 30-year-old brother on the landing where he  had been dumped. He was passed out from the alcohol, and police say he was unable to tell them what had happened to him. It wasn’t until later on Monday that he began to remember what had happened.

It wasn’t until Tuesday when the second teen went to a Bronx police station to describe a version of what happened. Like the others, he wasn’t fully forthcoming with the details our of fear of reprisal and wanting to keep his sexuality a secret. But the second seen gave the address of the abandoned apartment. Police found an immaculate apartment that had been freshly painted and washed with bleach. One detective called it “the cleanest crime scene I’ve ever seen.” Despite the elaborate attempt to conceal the crime, police were still able to find cans of alcohol and hair at the scene.

The plot fell apart on Wednesday night when someone in the crowd of onlookers provided the name of the man believed to be the group’s ringleader. Later, all three victims gave full statements of the attack. Arrested were Ildefonzo Mendez, 23; David Rivera, 21; Nelson Falu, 18; Steven Carballo, 17; Denis Peitars, 17; Bryan Almonte, 17; and Brian Cepeda, 16. Two others, Elmer Confessor, 23, and Ruddy Vargas-Perez, 22, are still being sought. They all face charges of unlawful imprisonment, abduction, assault, robbery, sodomy and menacing, all as hate crimes.

Leo

October 9th, 2010

The level of premeditation and planning is truly frightening.

Stefan

October 9th, 2010

What a shock, it’s in Ruben Diaz’s area. I sent him an email blasting him about this and I suggest others do the same.

johnathan

October 9th, 2010

I can only imagine Diaz’s response — if any would be forthcoming: (1) omitting any mention of the hate crime aspect or (2) blaming the victims, saying it wouldn’t have happened in the first place if it wasn’t for “teh gayz” overtaking his district.

johnathan

October 9th, 2010

Unrelated to the issue of Diaz:

This is absolutely disgusting and repulsive. As Leo noted, the premeditation, as well as the precision to which the attackers cleaned up the scene of the crime is truly morbid. My sympathies go out to the victims and the community at large.

Tone

October 9th, 2010

What cowardly behaviour.

Penguinsaur

October 9th, 2010

I read that new york times article and as far as I can tell the only evidence that they even slept together is that the 17 year old was seen with the 30 year old and that they confessed to it after being beaten half to death with ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’.

So how long until the conservative outlets start reporting this story with it stated as an absolute, proven fact that the 30 year old slept with both teenagers and implying he was some kind of predator? You know it’s gonna happen, they’ll probably also claim those two teenagers were gang members and the beating was for something unrelated. Anything to avoid addressing the real issue.

Ben in Oakland

October 9th, 2010

I find the whole homerotic aspect of the actions rather fascinating– something right out of a leather-and-chains bathouse, but iwthout the leather, chains, or baths. It reminds me of the scene in the “Naked Civil Servant” where some toughs threaten Quentin crisp and some of his friends, and he sayd something lie: “You boys ought to go home before someone figures out which one of you is queer.”

John

October 9th, 2010

Wow. I have no words to adequately express myself on this. Pretty vile.

Erin

October 9th, 2010

You hit the nail on the head, Tone. They are absolute cowards.

gar

October 9th, 2010

OK. Too strong. I get it. But still, I hope the criminal justice system metes out the appropriate punishment for these individuals.

Rob San Diego

October 10th, 2010

Umm, why are these cowards hiding their faces? Shouldn’t they be proud that they kicked some “fags” ass (pardon the word, but that is how they describe us)? I mean it almost looks like they are ashamed of what they did. They should be showing their faces and smiling knowing that they did good teaching us gays a lesson.

What a bunch of COWARDS!

Ryan

October 10th, 2010

The strangest part of this very sad and strange story is barely commented on in this write-up. The 30 year old man’s brother was beaten and tied up and when he escaped, he didn’t tell the cops about his brother?! Why the hell not?

BlackDog

October 10th, 2010

I’m curious, if all these guys hate Teh Gay so much, why did they sodomize the victims with broomsticks?

I’d be willing to bet whoever thought that one up has some unresolved issues with their own sexuality.

No worries, they’ll have plenty of time to work through that…in prison.

johnathan

October 10th, 2010

BlackDog wrote: “I’d be willing to bet whoever thought that one up has some unresolved issues with their own sexuality.”

Most likely, indeed. There was an interesting research study published concerning anti-gay violence perpetrated by younger males where, a large number of these males identified either as gay or bisexual within a few years after the commission of the crime. However, where the violence was conducted in groups, this did not apply to ALL persons. (The study’s commission was a LONG time ago, however.)

Patricia

October 10th, 2010

This is both evil and sick.

Maurice Lacunza

October 10th, 2010

I was struck by the notion that these gangsters spent some intimate moments with the sexual organs of another man. Perhaps they are hiding their faces because in restrospect, they realize that they had proxy sex with their victims….for hours and hours. Not one man, but two. It would leave me feeling a bit conflicted if I were in their shoes.

Other Fred in the UK

October 10th, 2010

@ Johnathan

Most likely, indeed. There was an interesting research study published concerning anti-gay violence perpetrated by younger males where, a large number of these males identified either as gay or bisexual within a few years after the commission of the crime.

I would be fascinated to read that study. Can you remember where it was published / link to it?

Leave A Comment

All comments reflect the opinions of commenters only. They are not necessarily those of anyone associated with Box Turtle Bulletin. Comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

(Required)
(Required, never shared)

PLEASE NOTE: All comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

 

Latest Posts

The Things You Learn from the Internet

"The Intel On This Wasn't 100 Percent"

From Fake News To Real Bullets: This Is The New Normal

NC Gov McCrory Throws In The Towel

Colorado Store Manager Verbally Attacks "Faggot That Voted For Hillary" In Front of 4-Year-Old Son

Associated Press Updates "Alt-Right" Usage Guide

A Challenge for Blue Bubble Democrats

Baptist Churches in Dallas, Austin Expelled Over LGBT-Affirming Stance

Featured Reports

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.

Slouching Towards Kampala: Uganda’s Deadly Embrace of Hate

When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.

Paul Cameron’s World

In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.

From the Inside: Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out”

On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.

Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"

The Heterosexual Agenda: Exposing The Myths

At last, the truth can now be told.

Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!

And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.

Testing The Premise: Are Gays A Threat To Our Children?

Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.

Straight From The Source: What the “Dutch Study” Really Says About Gay Couples

Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.

The FRC’s Briefs Are Showing

Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.

Daniel Fetty Doesn’t Count

Daniel FettyThe FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.