Two men accused of the October 8 robbery and beating that left an openly gay College Point man near death have been slapped with a 14-count indictment in a Queens courtroom.
Daniel Aleman, 26, and Daniel Rodriguez, 21, both of College Point, were officially charged with multiple counts of both assault and robbery – including as a hate crime – tampering with evidence and possession of stolen property.
Both assault and robbery in the first degree carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison – when charged as a hate crime, the minimum sentence possible goes from five to eight years.
According to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Jack Price, 49, went to a 24-hour grocery store on 18th Avenue and College Point Boulevard about 4:30 a.m. to buy a pack of cigarettes.
When Price emerged from the store, he was allegedly attacked by Aleman and Rodriguez who “intentionally selected Jack Price, in whole or in substantial part because of a belief or perception” that he was gay, Brown said.
Police say the two taunted and yelled anti-gay slurs at Price, who is 5’6” tall and weighs about 130 pounds, before and after he went to the store and then punched and kicked him.
The two have been in jail since their arrests in mid-October. According to a source familiar with the case, it is not uncommon for a long period of time to elapse before the formal indictment, if the defense “waives the right to a speedy indictment.”
“Usually the idea is to get more time to try to work out a plea deal, but that wasn’t going to happen here,” the source said.
The beating of Jack Price garnered international attention when it was captured on a security video camera installed by the College Point Board of Trade to deter graffiti vandals.
The video shows two assailants hounding Price along 18th Avenue, taunting, punching and kicking him as he attempts to get away. The beating continues even after he collapses in the street. The pair returns to rifle through his pockets and taunt the barely conscious victim, before delivering a roundhouse punch to his head. Cops later found Price’s wallet on a nearby rooftop.
Price reportedly needed surgery to repair his spleen and a shattered jaw, and had several broken ribs. He was placed in a medically-induced coma for a time, but has since largely recovered.
According to court records Aleman had been arrested in December of 2008 for fare-beating and could have gone to jail for a year. That case was adjourned in contemplation of dismissal this month.
He and Rodriguez are due back in court for their arraignment on Monday, January 25.
