New York police officials announced earlier tonight they had arrested one of the two men who allegedly beat an Ecuadorian immigrant to death on a Bushwick street in December.
Officers arrested Hakim Scott, 25, at his home in the Bronx on Tuesday. Scott and his accomplice, who police identified as Keith Phoenix, 28, of the Bronx, allegedly beat José Sucuzhañay with a baseball bat and a bottle as he and his brother Romel walked home arm in arm from a nearby party on Dec. 7. Scott and Phoenix reportedly used anti-Latino and anti-gay slurs in the course of the attack.
Sucuzhañay died at a Queens hospital five days after the attack, and Scott faces a charge of second-degree murder as a hate crime at his arraignment tomorrow.
Sucuzhañay's death, which came roughly a month after a group of Long Island teenagers allegedly beat Ecuadorian immigrant Marcelo Lucero to death on a Patchogue street, sparked widespread anger across New York. New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn [D-Chelsea] joined City Councilmember Diana Reyna [D-Bushwick], Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and hundreds of others at a rally in Bushwick shortly after Sucuzhañay succamb to his injuries. She described Sucuzhañay as "an example of the American dream" in a statement released shortly after officials announced Scott's arrest.
"His dream was tragically cut short on a cold December night just steps away from his home when he was brutally attacked by people who were heard shouting hateful anti-gay and anti-immigrant slurs," Quinn said. "Tonight's news of an arrest in the case will never bring Jose back but may help bring some closure to his family."
Mayor Michael Bloomberg praised the New York Police Department at a press conference held with NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly and Brooklyn district attorney Charles Hynes earlier tonight.
"Anybody who commits a hate crime, we will not rest until we find them," Bloomberg said.
Phoenix, who was reportedly out on parole, remains at-large.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Bronx man arrested in beating death of Ecuadorian immigrant
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YEA IM SORRY ABOUT THE TRAGIC...BUT SCOTT IS A LOVEING AND CAREING HUMAN BEING,THIS IZ AN EVERYDAY LIFE THING,PPL MAY GET DRUNK AND GET A LITTLE OUT OF HAND..BUT IM A VERY CLOSE PERSON TO SCOTT,N I IKNOW HEZ NOT THAT VICSIOUS OF A PERSON TO DO THAT,HE HAS A BIG FAMILY THAT HE LOVES DEARLY,HE IZ NOT ACCOUNTIBLE FOR ANY ONES ACTIONZ,LIKE THE ARTICLE SAID SCOTT RAN OFF....AN THE HATE CRIME THING,HEZ FAR FROM THAT,HE HAS NIECES AND BROTHERS THAT ARE HISPANIC.....IF U ASK ME EVERYONE CAN GET RUDE AND NASTY @ ANY GIVEN DAY AND BLANK OUT,DRUNK OR NOT.....SCOTT IS A POSITIVE THINKER,HARD WORKER.....ITS EVEN MORE SERIOUS CRIMES OUT TODAY,YOU HAVE MOTHERS KILLING THERE BABY CACATION LADY LEFT HER LITTLE OLD 2MONTH OLD BABY IN THE BATHROOM WITH HER 2YEAR OLD SON.AND THEY TRYNA SAY IT WAS AN ACCIDENT..PLS GET THAT FUCK OUTTA HERE....SHE KNEW DAMN WELL NOT,TO BE LEAVEN YOUR 2LITTLE BABIES IN THE DAMN TUBE ALONE...BE THERE @ ALL TIME...DAT CHICK GOT THEM BELIVEN IT WAS N ACCIDENT...WHATEVA..THE MEDIA,THA PRESS IZ KILLING ME RITE NOW BOUT ALL THIS,AN THEY TRYNA GIVE SCOTT CHARGED WITH MURDER...YOU KNOW WHY BECAUSE OF THIS SKIN COLOR...NO IF,ANDS,BUTS,ABOUT IT....RECORD OR NOT....THEY STILL OVA LOOK THEM..AND LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT...CANT BELIVE THEY LET THAT LADY GO...REAL TALK,THE BLACK SOCIETY BEEN HATED ON ALL THERE LIVES FOR DECADES....WHEN A BLACK MAN OR FEMALE GET ACCUSED WITH SOMETHING THEY MAKE IT A BIG ISSUE..WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS JUST LIKE THE HISPANIC,WHITES,IT JUST SEEM LIKE HISTORY IZ REPEATING ITS SELF ALL OVER AGAIN......09.OBAMA "TIME FOR A CHANGE"
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