A teenaged homophobic thug from Baltimore, Maryland, was indicted on attempted murder and bias intimidation charges for savagely beating and choking a learning-disabled man because he suspected the victim of being gay in a park in North Bergen, N.J., on the night of June 21, 2021.
The 37-year-old victim from West New York had apparently gone for his usual walk in the popular park the night of June 21, according to the indictment.
A state grand jury indictment charged José Tobias Carranza Serrano, 18, of Baltimore, Md., aka “Kevin Lopez,” with Attempted Homicide (1st Degree), Bias Intimidation (1st Degree), Robbery (1st Degree), and Aggravated Assault (2nd Degree).
Carranza Serrano was charged in an investigation by the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and DCJ Specialized Crimes Bureau—Bias Crimes Unit, assisted by the North Bergen, Hoboken, and Bayonne Police Departments. Carranza Serrano is being held pending trial in the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
Carranza Serrano allegedly attacked the victim after 11 p.m. on June 21, 2021, near the south end of the lake in North Hudson Park.
The investigation revealed that the victim was a stranger whom Carranza Serrano had just met but allegedly wanted to kill because he suspected the victim was gay.
The assailanle approached his victim near the south end of the park’s lake shortly after 11 p.m., lured him to a wooded area and attacked him, says the indictment.
Following his arrest, Carranza Serrano admitted that he lured the victim into a wooded area in an effort to kill him because he “does not like homosexuals,” the affidavit says.
Carranza Serrano allegedly punched and kicked the victim in the face, causing bone fractures and knocking out several teeth. He also allegedly attempted to strangle the victim.
Carranza Serrano allegedly took a phone and $8 from the victim. The victim was found unconscious near the path around the lake by a passerby shortly before 5 a.m. on June 22, 2021.
“We will not tolerate violence targeting the LGBTQ+ community,” said Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck. “There is simply no excuse for this type of hate, and we will ensure that those who engage in violence are held fully accountable for their actions.”
“We’re committed to working collaboratively to solve and aggressively prosecute bias crimes,” said Criminal Justice Division Director Lyndsay Ruotolo. “Crimes motivated by hate pose a heightened threat to our communities and demand a heightened level of vigilance. I commend our Specialized Crimes Bureau, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and our other law enforcement partners for their outstanding work on this case.”
Deputy Attorney General Danielle Scarduzio presented the case to the state grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) Specialized Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Jacqueline Smith, Bureau Chief Erik Daab, and DCJ Deputy Director Annmarie Taggart. Detectives Samer Abboud and Brian Christensen are assigned to the case for the DCJ Bias Crimes Unit, under the supervision of Lt. Michael Fallon, Deputy Chief of Detectives Robert Stemmer, and Chief of Detectives Weldon Powell.
The first-degree bias intimidation charge carries a sentence of 15 to 30 years in state prison. The attempted murder charge carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison, with parole ineligibility equal to 85 percent of the sentence imposed. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in prison.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.