The three white men are accused of forcing the 22-year-old victim from the Navajo Indian reservation into a car April 29, and driving him to an apartment to abuse him. Police say the trio also shaved a swastika into the man's hair and drew degrading words and pictures on his body with permanent marker.
"They held him down and forcibly branded him," Sgt. Robert Perez of the Farmington Police Department said, according to KRQE TV. "He was drawn on with images of hate speech."
The men have been charged with kidnapping and aggravated battery as the FBI reviews the case to determine if it constitutes a hate crime. Prosecutors in Farmington intend to pursue hate crime charges, according to the Associated Press.
"Their claim was that the 22-year-old victim was willing to have himself branded and shaved and written on with some of the hate speech and graphic images that were painted on his body," Perez told KRQE TV. Sanford is in custody, but police are still searching for the other two suspects. The victim, scarred by a hot wire hanger that was used to burn the swastika into his arm, has been returned to his family.
Soures: New York Daily News and The Associated Press
There is so much hate and sickness in this country. I hope those idiots get locked up for a good long time.
ReplyDeleteTrash. And I don't think it's a coincidence coming so soon after the Arizona law.
ReplyDeleteIf the FBI agents can't see this has hate crime written all over it, they need remedial training.
ReplyDeleteI hope the fun-loving creeps who did this get their fair trial, followed by a long stay behind bars -- with big, bad cellmates who think they're kinda cute.
Sue: I hope they hang them out to dry.
ReplyDeleteK: I'm not sure these guys didn't just take advantage of the fact that he's mentally challenged, which makes it even worse in my book. Native Americans, if anything, are treated worse than Hispanics as you probably already know.
SW: You be the judge. Your idea of an appropriate sentence is better than mine.
as the FBI reviews the case to determine if it constitutes a hate crime.
ReplyDeleteHoly shit, it's hard to imagine a more obvious case of a hate crime than this.
Branding marks are permanently disfiguring. This kind of thing makes me wish the option of public floggings was still available.
Awful, awful, shame, shame!
ReplyDeleteAwful, and part of a climate where hate speech against the mentally challenged in the form of the "R" word is way too acceptable. (See both Limbaugh and Emanuel for famous recent examples of those who like to disparage people this way).
ReplyDeleteHang them out to dry. All of this is going on here: hatred of the mentally disabled, racism against Natives, and the Nszi thing.