Alleged Hate Crime Leaves Teen Unconscious

A male teen was assaulted by another male teen near the intersection of Kiowa Crest Drive and Diamond Bar Boulevard in an alleged hate crime beating on March 21, according to police reports.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Detective Rhonda Toy of the Walnut/Diamond Bar station said that the victim was a student at and the suspect faces minor charges of committing a hate crime and battery.

The hate crime allegations against the suspect rest on conflicting accounts of the story from the victim and the suspect, Det. Toy said.

According to police reports, the victim told officers he was walking along Kiowa Crest Drive when he was confronted by the suspect and then verbally and physically attacked.

The victim said the suspect used a gay slur and then punched him in the face, eventually knocking the victim unconscious.

Sheriff's deputies discovered the victim at the scene with a split upper and bottom lip and a bump on the back of his head and fire department responders attended to the victim at the scene.

The victim told officers that he saw the suspect flee in a grey sedan in the moment before his vision grew blurry and he was rendered unconscious.

The Sheriff's deputy conducted a search at what was believed to be the suspect's residence before the deputy received a call that the suspect had reported to the Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff's station.

The officer then detained the suspect at the Sheriff's station, where the suspect agreed to speak to the officer without an attorney present.

According to police reports, the suspect then told the officer he had tripped the victim before falling on top of him and and punching him. The suspect said he confronted the victim because of rumors the suspect claimed the victim had spread about him at Diamond Bar High School.

The suspect denied using any gay slur during the altercation and said the victim had assaulted him verbally before the incident.

The suspect was booked on charges of committing a hate crime and battery and was transported to Los Padrinos Juvenile Detention Center in Downey.

The names of the suspect and victim were not disclosed because they are minors.