69 Year Old Man Stabbed To Death In Broad Daylight — Attacker Thought He Was Gay
UPDATE: 69-Year Old NYC Anti-Gay Hate Crime Murder Victim Wasn’t Gay
A 69-year old man was stabbed to death in broad daylight yesterday afternoon by a 22-year old man who thought his victim was gay. The anti-gay hate crime murder took place in the New York City borough of Queens, near the entrance to the 90th Street-Elmhurst Avenue subway station, at about 1:30 PM ET.
Steven Torres was caught near the scene and charged with the second-degree murder of Ever Orozco, who was putting money in a parking meter. The attack is being treated as a hate crime. There is no report on whether or not Orozco actually was gay.
“Witnesses ran after Torres and held him for police until he was taken into custody,” NBC News reports:
“There was a lot of screaming, and all I could see was the guy was stabbing him — stabbing him and stabbing him,” said Eddie De Jesus, who was in his locksmith shop on 90th Street when he heard the commotion.
Torres reportedly started laughing once the police caught him, ABC News reports:
“I really don’t know what to think,” witness Julio Lobaton said. “I’m just shaken because what happen to this poor guy…He was screaming, ‘Help me help me.’ I tried to intervene, but then he pulled a knife and started stabbing the guy on the floor. Then he went up about three steps came back.”
“He was laughing, yes,” Lobaton said. “He was laughing like nothing,” Lobaton said.
The New York City Anti-Violence Project told The New Civil Rights Movement that this is “the third anti-LGBTQ homicide in New York City so far this year, following the homicides of Mark Carson in May and Islan Nettles in August.”
“We rarely see multiple anti-LGBT homicides in New York City in one year,†Sharon Stapel, Executive Director of the AVP told The New Civil Rights Movement via email. “Since May, we have seen homicides in the West Village, Harlem and Jackson Heights and we know that any neighborhood in New York City can be impacted by anti-LGBT violence. We are extremely concerned about this disturbing trend of violence against our communities.â€
The AVP will be organizing a Community Safety Night for Friday, September 20, 2013 in Jackson Height, Queens.
Hat tip: Towleroad
Image: Screenshot via NBC NY
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