Two New York City men accused of beating and robbing an openly gay man have been indicted on hate crime charges.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown says an indictment filed Thursday accuses 21-year-old Daniel Rodriguez and 26-year-old Daniel Aleman of 14 counts of assault and robbery as a hate crime. They will be arraigned on Jan. 25.
Brown says the Queens men taunted 49-year-old Jack Price and yelled anti-gay slurs before assaulting him and taking his wallet on Oct. 8, 2009, as he left a deli near his Queens home. The incident was recorded by a security tape.
Rodriguez’s attorney, Ted Kasapis, says his client has pleaded not guilty. Aleman’s attorney, David Zucker, did not immediately respond to a request for comment left on his answering machine.