A Georgia homeowner says he “absolutely” experienced a hate crime after he found anti-gay slurs keyed into his car and his tires slashed.
Taner Bayram of Brookhaven, was home last Saturday night with a friend when “heard a hiss” and ran to the door, but was unable to catch the culprit in the act.
He found his tires had been slashed, the side of his car had been keyed, and someone had scratched: “He takes d**k” with a crude picture of male genitalia, and an unfinished message reading “he has A-.” His friend’s car was similarly vandalized.
Bayram, who immigrated 20 years ago from the Middle East where he knew of LGBTQ people who were harmed for their sexuality, says he believes the incident constitutes a hate crime, not just a property crime.
“It’s a hate crime, it’s absolutely a hate crime,” he told Atlanta area CBS affiliate WGCL-TV. “Whoever it was was trying to [write] I have AIDS.”
He believes the culprit or culprits were able to get away before Bayram and his friend could reach the window to see what the noise was.
What’s even more mysterious is that Bayram only recently moved into his home three weeks ago, so he doesn’t believe he’s been around long enough to make enemies or develop suspicions about his neighbors.
A report from the Brookhaven Police Department classified the crime as having no bias motivation — which can be tough to prove — meaning it is not currently classified as a hate crime. But that could change if police obtain more evidence or identify the vandals.
Brookhaven Police are asking neighbors with any information or possible security video footage to come forward. Tips can be submitted by calling the department at 404-637-0477, or submitted anonymously through the Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta hotline at 404-577-TIPS(8477).
In the long scheme of things, Bayram says he’ll be able to move on with his life, but believes the vandals carry a lot of hatred in their hearts.
“This is a little scratch for me, it shook me a little bit, but at the end of the day it’s a financial hiccup. No biggie,” he said. “In a couple weeks it’s going to be fixed but that person should be fixed.
“Hate kills. I feel sorry for them,” he added. “I forgive them but I think they have a bigger issue than my forgiveness.”
Police have arrested a man believed to be part of a three-man crew who attacked employees of a local pizza business.
Igor Dragun, 18, of Lincoln, California, was taken into custody at his Roseville, California home on October 1 in connection with an assault on workers at Blaze Pizza restaurant last month.
Dragun was booked into the Placer County Jail.
He faces felony assault charges, along with hate crime charges, because the attack is believed to have been motivated by anti-gay animus.
Police had been looking for three suspects involved in the assault. No other arrests have been made at this time.
The Metropolitan Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying a man who allegedly vandalized a political sign outside the gay bar The Little Gay Pub.
The man is accused of vandalizing multiple planters bearing the image of Vice President Kamala Harris surrounding the D.C. bar at 1100 P St. NW. The incident is believed to have occurred at around 8:23 a.m. on Saturday, September 23.
According to police, the man spray-painted "X" across the face of Harris on each sign. He also scrawled messages reading "Harris = Hitler" and "Trump > Hitler" on a nearby Metro bus stop and on posters outside the bar's door.
Baltimore Safe Haven, a transgender-led, drop-in wellness nonprofit that serves members of the transgender community, was vandalized and robbed during a recent break-in.
Baltimore City Police confirmed that officers responded to the organization's headquarters on North Charles Street after receiving a report of the destruction of property.
Renee Lau, the administrative assistant and senior projects coordinator for Baltimore Safe Haven, told CBS News that she arrived at the facility early on the morning of September 27 to meet a plumber but discovered that she couldn't open the basement door to their facility.
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