NYC Gay Hate-Crime Victim Dies

[movieguy]

NYC Gay Hate-Crime Victim Dies

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

October 13, 2006 - 5:00 pm ET

(New York City) Michael Sandy, the 28 year old gay Brooklyn man who was beaten and then chased into the path of a speeding car, died Friday, hours after his family instructed doctors to take him off a life-support machine.

Sandy had been in a coma since the attack. Doctors at Doctors at Brookdale Hospital told the family Friday morning that Sandy would never regain consciousness and was brain dead.

Three Brooklyn men have been charged with hate crimes in the attack on Sandy.

John Fox, 19; Ilya Shurov, 20, and Gary Timmins, 16 are charged with assault and robbery as hate crimes. New York City Police said Friday afternoon that the charges will be upgraded to include murder.

A fourth man man accused of being an accomplice is cooperating with police and reportedly led investigators to the other three.

Police allege that Fox and Shurov posed as gay men, cruising an Internet chat room looking for a mark to rob. They met Sandy online.

Chat messages between Sandy and the men were reportedly found on his home computer and a printout from his computer showing directions to Plum Beach, a popular cruising area, were found in his car.

Police allege that Sandy arranged to meet Fox on a street corner in Sheepshead Bay. The two then drove the short distance to the beach where the other three were waiting.

When the gang began beating him Sandy bolted for the nearby Belt Parkway with his attackers in close pursuit.

They caught up with him in one lane of the highway and as Sandy broke free he was struck by a car, sustaining massive injuries.

The attackers were last seen rifling through Sandy's pockets before fleeing.

The car did not stop and police earlier this week appealed for the driver to come forward.

©365Gay.com 2006

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