Suspect Arrested in Beating of Gay Bar Owners in Connecticut
A man has been apprehended by investigating police in Norwalk, Connecticut, after reportedly assaulting the two owners of a gay bar called Troupe429.
As reported by NBC News, Casey Fitzpatrick and his husband Nicholas Ruiz say they were the victims of an anti-LGBTQ hate crime after they way one of their patrons assaulted them and hurled gay slurs.
The incident occurred in mid-September, resulting in Ruiz needing over 50 stitches across his face and $20,000's worth of plastic surgery, Fitzpatrick explained in the statement, published Tuesday on the bar's website.
"As of October 11, nearly two and a half weeks after the assault, no charges have been filed, nor has the suspect been arrested," Fitzpatrick wrote. "We are asking for your help and support in seeking justice for Nicholas."
Local police are investigating the incident but are not treating it as a hate crime. Fitzpatrick says the investigation is being "mishandled" by not treating it as a hate crime.
On Wednesday, the Norwalk Police Department announced that they arrested suspect Carmen Everett Parisi earlier in the day However, they reportedly found that there was no evidence that the assault was fueled by anti-LGBTQ bias.
"The arrest follows the Police Department's warrant issued by a judge, after completing investigative steps of reviewing of video footage from inside the bar and attempting to get sworn statements from the two victims," Lt. Terrence Blake, the Norwalk Police Department's public information officer and LGBTQ liaison, said in a statement Wednesday. "Video footage from the body-worn, on-the-scene body cameras show no findings of any racial, religious, ethnic, or sexual orientation (RRES) language or indication of any anti-LGBTQ motivation associated with the assault."
Ruiz and Fitzpatrick shared their thanks for staff and patrons for their support. "However, we are deeply broken. The psychological harm that this assault has caused is significant, and we demand justice," they said.