Two women and one man were arrested Monday in the central Long Island town of Mastic Beach, NY after police say they brutally attacked a woman outside her home while making anti-gay remarks about the victim's sexual orientation.
According to Suffolk police, the suspects kicked, hit, and pushed the victim while making the hate remarks, Newsday reports.
Officers, responding to a “fight in progress,” arrested Nora Mitzner, 21, Lindsay McBeth, 25, and Selwyn Icangelo, 20, on the scene.
The incident started at about 7 pm Monday after the suspects complained that the victim's partner was taking pictures as they drove past the victim's house, said Det. Sgt. Robert Reecks, commanding officer of the Suffolk police hate crimes unit.
The three suspects got out of their car and “jumped” the woman, Reecks said. Police said the three suspects used a series of homophobic slurs while hitting, kicking, and punching the victim.
Reecks said the attack was unjustified. “There was an argument about taking pictures,” Reecks said. “That doesn’t give you carte blanche to beat up somebody.”
Authorities say all three suspects pleaded not guilty at their arraignments in First District Court in Central Islip on Tuesday.
The suspects would have been charged with harassment, but because of the “hate element” in the crime, officials have raised the charge to aggravated harassment, WPIX TV reports.
The physical injuries sustained by the victim were not serious and did not require hospitalization, officials said.
"In Suffolk County, we stand united in denouncing violent and abusive acts against a person because of their race, creed, ethnicity or sexual orientation, " said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy.
The attack in Mastic Beach was the second reported homophobic assault in June police said.
On June 19, a Central Islip man used anti-gay epithets while beating three gay men on Earle Street in Central Islip, Suffolk police said, according to Newsday.