3 more suspects indicted in Bronx hate crimes

BRONX

Police say 22-year-old Jose Dominguez, 23-year-old Idelfonso Mendez and 21-year-old David Rivera were all charged with gang assault in the first and second degrees, assault in the first, second and third degrees, robbery in the second degree and aggravated sexual abuse in the third degree.

Twelve of the 28 counts were charged as hate crimes.

Charges were dismissed against 17-year-old Dennis Piters, as the prosecution stated that it had insufficient evidence to meet the burden of proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Tuesday, Eyewitness News learned that three other defendants were cleared.

They are Steven Caraballo, Brian Cepeda and Bryan Almonte.

They had been charged with robbery, gang assault and unlawful imprisonment.

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson also announced that 26-year-old Luis Garcia has been indicted on charges of gang assault and other offenses in connection with the alleged bias attack.

Garcia is facing a maximum sentence of up to 25 years imprisonment if convicted of first-degree robbery, a Class B felony offense.

The maximum sentence for the gang assault charge is 15 years imprisonment.

The brutal attacks happened earlier this month when two 17-year-olds and a 30-year-old man, who were believed to be gay, were allegedly brutally attacked by members of a gang called the Latin King Goonies.

The victims were attacked in an apartment in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx. They were allegedly beaten and two of them sodomized.

A grand jury has been meeting for some time considering the evidence in the case.

"He was not involved in this from the beginning, he was never a gang member, and I'm glad to see justice was done here," said Almonte's attorney.

Three other defendants, 23-year-old Elmer Confresi, 17-year-old Nelson Falu, and 22-year-old Ruddy Vargas, are awaiting grand jury action.

All three defendants are scheduled to appear in State Supreme Court, Part 60 on Thursday, October 28th.

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