ATTACK ON GAY SHELTER - 4 TEENS ARRESTED

Seems to me some people are just haters.. 4 teens were arrested for attacking youth and a priest who runs a Queens shelter for transgender and gay youth. Although its being reported that there were only minor injuries it still caused for alarm in the community.

The priest, the Rev. Louis Braxton Jr., said he was returning to the shelter, Carmen’s Place, on Steinway Street in Astoria, about 10:30 on Monday night when he saw a group of youths hit a resident on the head with a bag of garbage.

Father Braxton, an Episcopal priest who is the shelter’s director, said he shouted at the attackers and they fled. But four youths returned soon after holding a paint bucket, a miter box, steel brackets and a belt. By then other shelter residents had gathered outside, Father Braxton said.

Two residents of Carmen’s Place argued with the four and were punched in the face and body, Kevin Ryan, a spokesman for the Queens district attorney’s office, said.

...Father Braxton said the group used obscenities and homophobic and anti-transgender slurs. He met with detectives from the Police Department’s Hate Crimes Unit on Tuesday to discuss safety concerns.

“We have had other attacks like this from kids in the neighborhood,” he said. “People pushing the kids, throwing things at them, at least once a week.”

Three of the suspects were identified by the police as Shara Mozie, 17, and Tyreek Childs, 17, both of 24th Street, and Trevaughn Payne, 16, of 34th Avenue, all in Queens.

The name of the fourth suspect, a 15-year-old boy, was not released because he will likely be charged as a juvenile, Mr. Ryan said.

The three teenagers faced assault, weapons and harassment charges, Mr. Ryan said. The most-serious count, the assault charge, is a misdemeanor, he said. [SOURCE]

Wow.. I always think it starts with the family.. These kids need parents to teach them about respecting diversity. I hope these kids get what they deserve.