San Jose State student attacked in alleged hate crime, DA says suspects yelled anti-gay slurs
SAN JOSE, Calif. —
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has charged two men with an alleged hate crime. They are suspected of attacking a San Jose State University student while yelling anti-gay slurs at him.
The District Attorney’s Office said the attack was unprovoked. The two suspects allegedly kicked and punched the student and his friend, who was trying to help. The attack took place on the downtown campus Saturday morning.
Josue Medina Flores, 19, of Sunnyvale, and Christian Gabriel Nunez Petty, 20, of Fremont, are charged with felony assault with hate crime allegations, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
According to preliminary facts, the victim was walking with two female friends on campus when they passed the two suspects around 3:44 a.m.
The two men allegedly asked the victim if he was gay and yelled anti-gay slurs. The victim and his friends ignored them and continued walking, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The two suspects then allegedly ran up to the victim and “attacked him, punching him in the head more than two dozen times and kicking him. All the while, they used homophobic slurs,” according to the District Attorney’s Office.
One of the victim’s friends intervened to help, but the defendants allegedly hit her as well.
San Jose State University police officers responded during the attack and arrested the fleeing suspects before they could leave campus.
The victim was treated at a local hospital for his injuries and released.
The alleged assault was captured on university security video, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
“If you hurt someone because of their race, religion, gender or sexuality, you will be arrested and prosecuted,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “Tolerance and diversity are cherished values in this community. We back them up with one voice — and the full might of the law.”
The pair will be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. in San Jose. If convicted, they face prison time, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
KSBW 8 asked whether the suspects were also students, but the District Attorney’s Office said it did not have that information at this time.