Queens Tribune

Two Queens men have been indicted on hate crime charges stemming from their brutal attack and robbery of an openly gay man in College Point last October.

On Jan. 14, Queens DA Richard Brown announced that Daniel Aleman and Daniel Rodriguez, both of College Point, were charged in a 14-count indictment of assault and robbery as hate crimes. The two men each face up to 25 years in prison if they are convicted of the charges, and were to be arraigned Jan. 25.

On Oct. 8, at 4:30 a.m., Aleman, 26, and Rodriguez, 21, allegedly confronted 49-year-old Jack Price with anti-gay slurs and then proceeded to punch, stomp, kick and rob him. The entire three-minute attack was caught on tape by a security camera.

Price suffered a broken jaw, several broken ribs, two collapsed lungs and a lacerated spleen. He remained in the hospital for approximately three weeks after the attack.

The incident sparked a slew of public officials to speak out against hate crimes and also encouraged a College Point rally that hundreds of community members attended.

The DA said, if convicted, the punishment for any hate crimes will be harsh.

“Acts of violence motivated by hate or intolerance violate the fundamental principles and spirit of equality and freedom on which our country was founded,” Brown said. “When such crimes regrettably do occur – especially here in Queens County, the most culturally diverse county in the nation – they will be condemned in the strongest possible terms and those responsible will be brought to justice to answer for their actions.”

Since Aleman and Rodriguez’s arrests, their family and friends have been vocal about denying the attack was motivated by Price’s sexual orientation.

At the rally, Daniel Rodriguez’s sister Christina Rodriguez stood feet away from Jack Price’s family and decried the allegations against her brother.

“This is not a hate crime at all,” Rodriguez said.

Approximately 10 other protesters demonstrated at the rally claiming the two men should not be charged with a hate crime.

Rodriguez’s attorney, Ted Kasapis, said his client will plead not guilty to the charges. He added that he does not believe the DA has any evidence to prove the attack was a hate crime since there were no witnesses and Price said on NY1 that he does not remember the incident.

Aleman’s attorney, David Zucker, could not be reached for comment.

Reach Reporter Kaitlyn Kilmetis at kkilmetis@queenstribune.com, or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 128.