A gay couple is recovering from what appears to be a bias-motivated assault in Caldwell, Idaho.
Eric Reid and Juan Olvera were leaving a restaurant near Indian Creek Plaza, a downtown shopping and dining district, on the night of June 13 when several men allegedly yelled homophobic slurs at them.
The couple said they were chased through a parking lot and assaulted by one of the men near the railroad tracks on Ninth Avenue.
“I literally thought I was going to die,” Olvera told the Boise NBC affiliate. “I don’t even know how to explain how scared I am right now. I haven’t left my house in days.” KTVB. “What’s going to happen to the next person? Are they going to kill them? I literally felt like they were going to kill us for being gay. That’s a horrible thing to live in, and I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
Mr. Reed required six stitches to his lip, and Mr. Olvera suffered bruises and cuts. The two, who have been together for 15 years, told KTVB they had never experienced a similar incident.
“I was so scared just looking at my partner’s face afterwards that something like this could happen to my partner and me,” Olvera said.
Police then arrested Pedro Villarreal III, 55, of Caldwell, and charged him with a misdemeanor.
Caldwell police said Idaho law does not allow for hate crime charges or sentencing enhancements in this case. hate crime lawThe law, known as “malicious harassment,” applies only to crimes that target individuals based on their race, color, religion, ancestry, or national origin. Crimes motivated by an individual’s sexual orientation are not covered.
“We are here to serve the residents of Caldwell and the state of Idaho,” Lt. Gov. Jeffrey Peterson told KTVB. “And unfortunately, it’s frustrating that under the law we can’t give them the justice that they need.”
Olvera and Reed, who call themselves conservative, say they want people to come together.
“As the political conflict continues, everyone needs to put it aside and remember that at the end of the day, we’re all Americans. We all have the same blood and we’re all Americans,” Olvera said.
Caldwell Mayor Eric Phillips released a statement condemning the incident.
“As mayor, I want to make it clear that we do not support violence in any form in our communities,” he said. “Everyone should feel safe at our public events and throughout the city of Caldwell. We are aware of the incident that occurred this weekend at the Caldwell Night Market and appreciate the quick response of law enforcement. We continue to await the completion of the Caldwell Police Department’s investigation.”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
