Arrest in Latest Anti-Gay Attack in NYC

Associated Press

Wednesday May 22, 2013

NEW YORK -- A man has been arrested in connection with one of several anti-gay attacks in recent days in New York City.

Police say Roman Gornell was charged Wednesday with assault and aggravated harassment, both as hate crimes.

Gornell is accused of yelling an anti-gay remark and attacking a drinking companion in Manhattan's East Village on Monday. Roman and the victim, Dan Contarino, lived at a nearby homeless shelter.

It was one of 2 anti-gay attacks authorities announced Tuesday following the killing of a gay man over the weekend.

Tuesday morning, two men were walking in lower Manhattan when two other men yelled homophobic slurs in Spanish and attacked them. They were arrested on hate crime assault charges.

Mark Carson was killed Saturday; a man was charged with murder as a hate crime.

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