Jawhar Edwards, the victim in the Coney Island assault, speaks at a press conference on Dec. 10, 2021. – Photo: FOX 5 New York.
The New York Police Department has arrested a suspect accused of brutally beating a gay man with a metal bar on the Coney Island boardwalk.
The victim, Jawhar Edwards, says he was attacked around midnight on Nov. 4 when he went to the Riegelmann Boardwalk, in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, to feed the homeless.
Edwards, an out gay man, had gone to the boardwalk and set up tables of food, without incident, for years prior to the attack.
But on that early morning, two attackers — a man and a woman — called him a “f****t” and hit him in the eye with a metal pole, breaking three bones in his left eye socket and causing him to lose vision in that eye.
The two assailants then robbed Edwards of his mobile phone, coat, all the money in his pockets, and even his walker.
“I went down to feed the homeless. In return, I got assaulted, I got gay-bashed, I got robbed of my belongings. I got called a f***t, I got told, ‘If I see you again, I am going to kill you,'” Edwards said at a Dec. 10 press conference called to highlight a recent spike in anti-LGBTQ crimes.
Bystanders on the boardwalk ignored Edwards’ plight and did not lend aid. Ultimately, someone notified first responders, who arrived on scene and transported him to Kings County Hospital, reports FOX 5 New York.
Edwards suffered a fractured eye socket and required reconstructive surgery. He has subsequently undergone multiple surgeries, racking up a great deal of medical debt. He also says he lives with constant anxiety about being attacked for being gay for the third time in his life.
Edwardswas previously attacked three years ago after he accidentally bumped onto a fellow straphanger on the subway, prompting that individual to assault him in a homophobic rage. He also claims he was subjected to homophobia in a building in which he previously lived, according to Gay City News.
The NYPD said it arrested 21-year-old Infenet Millington, a homeless individual, for the attack, charging him with second-degree robbery — the only arrest made so far in the case.
Edwards claims he told police that the attackers yelled anti-LGBTQ slurs at him, but police did not say the case is being investigated as a hate crime, with one law enforcement source telling Gay City News that the case notes don’t include any mentions of anti-gay comments.
New York State Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus (D-Brooklyn) organized a Dec. 10 rally, at which Edwards spoke, to denounce violence against the LGBTQ community. According to the NYPD, hate crimes against LGBTQ people are up 139% over last year.
“I stand here today ashamed that more than 50 years after the Stonewall riots, members of the LGBT community are still at risk and have to watch their backs as they are walking down the street,” Frontus said during the press conference. “We will not tolerate hate or discrimination or violence of any kind right here in our backyard.”
A gay-owned ice cream shop displaying a large Pride flag outside was attacked twice in 24 hours by a man who hurled Molotov cocktails at the business.
Jason Fletcher, owner of Fletcher's Ice Cream & Café in Minneapolis, told NBC affiliate KTTC that employees had left just six minutes before the first attack, around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday, October 19. The suspect hurled a Molotov cocktail, shattering a window and igniting several chairs. Patrons at nearby Mac's Industrial Sports Bar helped extinguish the flames.
The second attack came just over 14 hours later, around 12:52 p.m. on Monday, when the shop was closed. This time, the Molotov cocktail created a larger hole in the window, but its wick fell out before the flames could reach inside. The fire scorched the sidewalk outside, leaving burn marks near several tables and chairs.
Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud was arrested in West Palm Beach after allegedly trying to run down members of an LGBTQ running group during a meet-up in a local park. The Florida man faces two counts of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony and one count of reckless driving.
El Mahmoud could also face hate crime charges or bias enhancements for allegedly targeting the group because of their sexual orientation.
According to West Palm Beach police, El Mahmoud allegedly took offense at what he perceived as a comment about his sexual orientation when a runner asked if he was at Howard Park for the "Night Runners West Palm Beach" group's regular meet-up.
A Texas grand jury has indicted 57-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez in connection with the June 1 killing of actor Jonathan Joss. Police say Alvarez confronted Joss and his husband as they were picking up mail at their San Antonio home, which had burned down in February.
The 59-year-old Joss -- whose legal name was Jonathan Joss Gonzales -- was best known for his roles on the animated series King of the Hill and the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation.
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office said in a Nov. 19 statement that Ceja Alvarez "is charged with murder, the most serious charge applicable under Texas law." The office added that, because the case is still pending, no further details could be released.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.