Suspects In Douglaston Bias Attack Plead Guilty

The two defendants alleged to have beaten two Asian youths in an apparent bias attack this past summer in Douglaston have both pleaded guilty.
Paul A. Heavey, 21, of Little Neck, pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree assault as a hate crime. Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Pauline A. Mullings indicated that she would sentence the defendant to five years probation, 75 hours of community service and require Heavey to make a statement of apology at his sentencing on May 21.
Heavey’s co-defendant, Kevin M. Brown, 19, of Auburndale, the son of a retired city cop, pleaded guilty to second degree assault as a hate crime and third-degree assault as a hate crime for his involvement in the Douglaston incident and to second- and third-degree assault for an earlier incident in which he attacked two men with a hammer after a collision and dispute. He has been sentenced to three and one-half years in state prison and two and one-half years’ post-release supervision.
In court proceedings, Brown admitted that on the day of the Douglaston incident, he participated in the beating of John Lu by punching him in the head and body. Additionally, he admitted that when Reynold Liang came to the aid of Lu, he punched and kicked Liang in the head and body. When Liang crawled back to his car and picked up an automobile steering wheel lock known as “The Club,” he grabbed it from Liang and used it to hit him numerous times in the head and body, causing him to sustain a possible fractured skull and substantial pain to his chest. Brown admitted that he assaulted the two victims because of their race.
Brown also admitted that on the evening of May 7, 2006, he struck pedestrian Georgios Karatzas, 64, with his 1988 Toyota as he and his son, Panagotis, 30, were crossing the intersection of Northern Boulevard and Francis Lewis Boulevard. During a verbal dispute, Brown exited his car and hit Panagotis Karatzas on the head with a hammer and pummeled Georgios Karatzas, who fell and suffered cuts to his hand. Brown then returned to his car and drove off, clipping Panagotis Karatzas in the leg. Both men required medical attention for their injuries.
“The defendant [Brown] has now been sentenced to state prison for his role in a cowardly, hate- motivated attack,” said District Attorney Richard A. Brown. “His actions were an affront to civilized society. Queens County is the most culturally diverse county in the nation and crimes of hate will never be tolerated here. They are to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. When they do, regrettably, occur, those responsible will be brought to justice.”