Hispanic Same-Sex Couple Assaulted In Midtown, DA Says

MIDTOWN, NY — A man was indicted on hate crime charges on Thursday for yelling homophobic and xenophobic slurs at two Hispanic men who were walking hand-in-hand before punching them both in the face in Midtown, District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

According to Bragg, on March 18 at 10:20 p.m., a 25-year-old man and his 32-year-old partner were walking in Midtown, near West 37th Street and 8th Avenue, when the suspect, Jamile Daniel started shouting slurs at the couple.

Daniel, 29, then punched each of the men in the face, causing them to fall to the ground, according to Bragg's accusations.

Then, the couple was taken to a local hospital for bruising and substantial pain to both of their faces, Bragg said.

Daniel ran away, but was arrested a few minutes later, Bragg said.

“As alleged, Jamile Daniel viciously assaulted two men, who were out enjoying a walk together on a busy Midtown street,” Bragg said on Thursday. “This alleged conduct is repugnant and fueled by the defendant’s biases about the couple’s sexual orientation and heritage. New Yorkers of all backgrounds deserve to feel safe in Manhattan, and I wish the victims in this case a swift recovery.”

Daniel, who is from the Bronx, was charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with two counts each of assault in the third degree as a hate crime and aggravated harassment in the second degree, Bragg said.

A third-degree assault as a hate crime is a class E felony, and aggravated harassment in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor.

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