Parents charged with hate crime for assaulting Black teen hiding in daughter’s closet
Three California parents are charged with a hate crime for allegedly tying up a Black teen, assaulting, kidnapping and threatening him with racial slurs after he was found hidden in their daughter’s bedroom closet.
—CNN’s April Ryan opens up about her bodyguard getting charged for assaulting a journalist—
On Thursday, the 17-year-old victim reported to police that he was abused by three people at the 15-year-old girl’s parents’ home in San Bruno who “became irate and started assaulting” police said.
The teen said he was visiting a 15-year-old girl around 2:30 a.m. and hid in a bedroom close when the girl’s mother, Haydee Arguello, her stepfather, Wilfredo Amaya, and her biological father, Luisandor Suarez came home. He contends that they held him against his will, threatened his life, tied him up with a rope and repeatedly assaulted him while hurling racist slurs.
Police said race was likely “to be a motivating factor in the attack.”
However, the teen girl’s sisters Belkys Gomez and Katherine Gomez, said the victim attacked the parents first, which caused them to restrain him.
“They were so scared because they found someone in the closet,” Belkys told ABC San Francisco affiliate KGO. “They jumped because everyone was sleeping and this guy started kicking my stepfather and trying to kill him.”
—White Florida man citing ‘Stand Your Ground’ law convicted of murdering Black man—
Katherine Gomez said “He punched her and then my stepdad, of course, is not going to let anyone hit his wife. They tried to stop him and he was acting very violent so they grabbed a rope to try to tie him down and ask him why he was at the house.”
A neighbor Jorge Flores however told the outlet that the victim could be heard screaming in pain.
According to police, all three suspects have been arrested and charged with a hate crime, including kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats.
The 15-year-old girl has reportedly been taken into custody of Child Protective Services KGO reported.
