A man was robbed and attacked on Wednesday morning by three suspects who hurled anti-gay slurs at him on a Jackson Heights street, police said.
The 31-year-old victim, who was reportedly leaving a restaurant at Roosevelt Avenue and 81st Street at 2 a.m., was approached by three men who robbed him and yelled anti-gay remarks at him in Spanish, according to authorities.
The three men reportedly told the victim, “You’re a worthless piece of trash because you’re gay,” police said.
The suspects punched and kicked the victim to the ground before stealing his wallet, which contained $60, a credit card and other forms of identification. He suffered various kicks to the head, face, ribs and back and was left unconscious. The victim later woke up and walked to Elmhurst Hospital, police said.
He was treated for a concussion and released. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
Though police cannot officially confirm, an NYPD spokesperson said the incident may be investigated as a hate crime.
Jackson Heights was the scene of another anti-gay attack in November. A man was beaten and sexually assaulted by three men around the same location. It is not immediately clear if the attacks are related.
Also in November, a transgender woman was attacked outside of her home at 93rd Street between Elmhurst and Roosevelt Avenues. The woman was slammed to the ground and taken to the hospital in critical condition.
“My first thought was we’ve come so far but then again, something like this reminds you of how much more work you have to do,” said Councilman Daniel Dromm, who sits on the LGBT Caucus. “It’s a shame that in 2016 were still fighting against this type of hatred. It doesn’t make sense at all that people continue to do these terrible things.”
Dromm said he will be hosting a press conference in Jackson Heights on Feb. 23 to denounce the attack.
