Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Possible hate crime investigated after gay man beaten outside off-Strip resort

A group of men attacked a man at an off-Strip parking garage over the weekend, yelling homophobic slurs as they kicked and punched him, according to Metro Police.

The victim, who is openly gay, was hospitalized with a bloody face, while five of the 10 to 12 men who attacked him were arrested, police said.

The attack was captured on surveillance cameras at the Hard Rock Hotel, where the incident occurred Sunday night.

Eidryce Marks, Rashon Wiggins, Keron Cumberland, Damion Campbell and Aaron Bob-Goldman were arrested on counts of battery, and hate and bias crime, according to Las Vegas Justice Court records. Clark County prosecutors decided against pursuing the battery counts, and the suspects have since bailed out of the Clark County Detention Center, records show.

It wasn’t immediately clear why the battery charges weren’t pursued, and prosecutors could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

Before the attack, the victim and his family were leaving a day club at the hotel-casino when Marks — with no apparent provocation — approached the victim, holding both his middle fingers up, police said.

Assuming the obscene gesture was related to the victim’s sexual orientation, he said, “Whatever, it’s 2018” and tried to walk away, police said.

That’s when the suspects surrounded him and attacked, police said. A person who tried to intervene also was punched, police said.

Hotel security officers, who arrived before Metro officers, detained the five suspects, police said. Four to six other men fled, police said.

The suspects had been kicked out of the day club before the attack, police said.