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Court Orders Psych Exams For Pair In Gay Bashing


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Court Orders Psych Exams For Pair In Gay Bashing

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

April 7, 2006 - 12:01 am ET

(Santa Fe, New Mexico) The two men labeled ringleaders in a gang attack on two gay men more than a year ago in Santa Fe have been ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluations before they are sentenced.

The 60-day evaluations were ordered by District Judge Michael Vigil as part of a presentence report.

But before being taken away Gabriel Maturin, 21, and Isaia Medina, 20, were warned, “Both of you need to see the inside of the penitentiary.”

“The viciousness of this attack warrants you going to the penitentiary to see where you will live your life if this type of activity continues,” Judge Vigil said.

Three other men charged in the attack on James Maestas, 22, and his friend Joshua Stockham, 24, in a parking lot on Feb. 27, 2005 have accepted plea bargains.

Joseph Cano, 19, Jonathan Valdez , 21, and Paul Montoya, 20, were sentenced to three years of supervised probation and 500 hours of community service that will include speaking to high-school and college students about the attack.

The six man charged, David Trinidad, 18, was ordered into a treatment program for adult sexual offenders, then serve five years of probation.

Maestas and Stockham had just finished lunch with several female friends at a Santa Fe restaurant and had gone outside for a smoke when five men drove into the parking lot.

The men attempted to talk up the girls and at some point got into an argument with Maestas and Stockham.

Police said that the argument escalated with one of the men calling Maestas and Stockham "faggots" and trying to provoke a fight.

Stockham, Maestas and the females got into a car and began driving away. The men then began throwing rocks at the car according to police.

Trinidad, who had waited on them in the restaurant, was just finishing work and came outside. Police said that Trinidad knew the five men and joined in the rock throwing.

Trinidad, according to the police statement learned that Maestas and Stockham were staying at nearby hotel while he was serving them.

He told investigators that he and the five men followed the group to the hotel and along the way they "pumped" themselves up by talking about "f****** those faggots up". The statement also quoted Trinidad as telling investigators that they referred to Stockham and Maestas as "f****** white boys."

They arrived at the hotel just behind Stockham and Maestas and began beating the pair while yelling anti-gay epithets.

Maestas fell to the ground unconscious. He spent nearly a week in hospital in intensive care. Stockham was treated at hospital and released.

Testifying against Maturin and Medina, Maestas said that once he got out of hospital there was a long rehabilitation and had to learn to walk and talk again.

In a telephone interview with the New Mexican newspaper Maestas said he still suffers.

“I will never, ever forget this,” Maestas told the paper. “Having someone hate your lifestyle so much that they would physically beat you is hard to accept.”

©365Gay.com 2006

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