New York men charged with hate crime over gay beating

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

Two men from the Queens area of New York have been charged with hate crimes after an attack on a gay man.

Daniel Rodriguez, 21, and Daniel Aleman, 26, are accused of beating and robbing 49-year-old Jack Price as he walked home in the Queens neighbourhood in the early hours of October 8th.

They are said to have shouted homophobic slurs as they kicked and punched him before stealing his wallet.

Price sustained broken ribs, two punctured lungs, a fractured jaw and a lacerated spleen. He was placed in a medically-induced coma and spent three weeks in hospital.

Rodriguez and Aleman face charges of assault and robbery as a hate crime. They could serve up to 25 years in prison.

They are expected to enter a plea on January 25th.