Man charged for gay bashing in Braddock Park – The Hudson Reporter
The attack occurred in Braddock Park on June 22.
The attack occurred in Braddock Park on June 22.
José Tobias Carranza Serrano, aka “Kevin Lopez,” 18, of Baltimore, Md., has been charged with attempted murder and bias intimidation for allegedly beating and choking a man he suspected of being gay on June 22 in North Hudson Park, also known as James J. Braddock Park, in North Bergen, according to Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal.
The attack occurred during Pride Month, when celebrations commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in 1969 which kickstarted the movement for LGBTQ+ equality.
Carranza Serrano was arrested on June 23 and charged by complaint with Attempted Homicide, Bias Intimidation, Robbery, and Aggravated Assault.
The investigation was conducted by the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and Division of Criminal Justice, assisted by the North Bergen, Hoboken, and Bayonne Police Departments. He is being held in the Hudson County Correctional Center pending a detention hearing.
Early morning attack
In the early morning hours of June 22, Carranza Serrano allegedly attacked the victim near the south end of the lake in Braddock Park. The investigation revealed that the victim was a stranger whom Carranza Serrano had just met.
Carranza Serrano allegedly wanted to kill the victim because he suspected the victim was gay, according to Grewal.
Carranza Serrano allegedly punched and kicked the victim in the face, causing multiple fractures and knocking out several teeth. He also allegedly attempted to strangle the victim.
Carranza Serrano allegedly took a smart phone and $8 in cash 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.
‘Hate-fueled violence’
“This defendant is charged with attempting to kill a complete stranger because he thought the man was gay,” said Attorney General Grewal. “The victim was beaten and choked so badly that he was unconscious for several hours before a passerby found him and called for help.”
Grewal continued: “Whether this type of hate-fueled violence is directed against the LGBTQ+ community or other groups, it is terribly destructive to society, and we must push back against it in every way possible. That, of course, includes aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who commit such crimes. I commend the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and other collaborating law enforcement agencies for the investigation that led to this arrest.”
The case is being prosecuted jointly by the Division of Criminal Justice and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office. The Defense Attorney for Carranza Serrano is undetermined.
Attorney General Grewal thanked the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, under the leadership of Sheriff Frank X. Schillari; the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the leadership of Prosecutor Esther Suarez; and the North Bergen, Hoboken, and Bayonne Police Departments.
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. Carranza Serrano is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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