Jul 16, 2009 6:00 am US/Eastern
S.I. Bias Attack Victim Recounts The Horror
3 Men Suspected Of Assaulting Luis Maltez With Baseball Bats On June 17 In Bulls Head Are Still On The Loose
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Police are looking for this man, caught on a surveillance camera near the scene of an alleged bias attack of a Hispanic male. This suspect is believed to be one of three involved in the assault.
CBS
They came after him with bats.
On Wednesday night the victim of a brutal hate crime came forward, even though his attackers are still on the loose.
With every breath Luis Maltez says he feels pain -- ribs bruised, an arm still sore and his hair only just beginning to grow back from a wound delivered with a baseball bat. Maltez, who is from Nicaragua and speaks Spanish, showed CBS 2 HD how he tried in vain to shield himself.
"I catch here from my head, catch here from my ribs catch here and here," he said pointing to various spots on his body.
Police said the 38-year-old husband and father was the victim of a bias crime on the morning of June 17. On Wednesday investigators released a photo of the main suspect, who, along with two other men, is accused of attacking Maltez while shouting slurs.
"'You stupid Mexican.' That's what they said, 'stupid Mexican,'" Maltez said.
The violent encounter began at a gas station at the corner of Victory Boulevard and Richmond Avenue. Maltez was in line at the counter with a friend to get something to drink, and said the man directly behind him started yelling words of hatred. One camera in particular gave police a good view of the suspects.
Police said the suspect took off in a black Toyota Avalon. Maltez and his friend were walking the one block home when the suspect and two other men showed up, all three wielding bats. As they attacked Maltez, his friend escaped and called 911. It was almost 5 a.m. and the noise was so loud it woke up neighbor John King.
"What I heard was words of the men who was doing the whacking with the baseball bat and said where the "f "are you going and that's when you got the noise like this here," King said, demonstrating.
On Wednesday night candles were lit and outrage was felt at the spot where it happened. The vigil was organized by a group called the Staten Island Eyeopeners.
"Things like this cannot continue to happen here right when we thought things were safe something like this happens just pops up," group spokesman Ronald Speight said.
The effects are more than physical. Maltez told CBS 2 HD he can't sleep and cannot walk in his neighborhood without feeling panicky.
He said he wants the suspects found and put away where they cannot hurt anyone else.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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