Two men were arrested and charged with a hate crime over the alleged assault of a couple they encountered late on April 5, according to Connecticut police.
Ryan Eustace and Ryley Haddock, both 28 years old, allegedly assaulted a man of Indian descent and his girlfriend as they were walking at about midnight on Center Street in Southington, a town of 43,000 residents near the center of the state.
Police arrested the men at the scene and determined that they assaulted the man because of his Indian heritage.
Police say the two men made derogatory statements and racial slurs against the man before they assaulted the couple.
Eustace allegedly began the altercation by punching the man in the face, and Haddock joined in the assault. After the man’s girlfriend tried to stop the assault, she was attacked before Eustace put the man in a headlock and restricted his ability to breathe.
The man suffered a bloody nose, a broken tooth, and cuts on his face, while the woman also had injuries to her face and legs. Neither was taken to a hospital.
Police arrested the men at the scene and determined that they assaulted the man because of his Indian heritage.
The two men were charged with intimidation based on bigotry/bias; ridicule related to creed, religion, color, nationality, or race; and assault. Eustace was additionally charged with strangulation.
Southington resident Jamie Elsner told WFSB-TV that she witnessed the alleged attack because she was at a nearby restaurant at the time.
“To randomly, out of nowhere, attack somebody because they don’t look like you, or they’re not your gender, or you think less of them, it’s just pathetic and sad, honestly,” she said.
“Whatever the motive was, it was not even called for, whatsoever,” Elsner added.
Eustace was given a bond of $250,000, while Haddock was given a $150,000 bond. Both bonded out of jail.
Police said that Eustace had four pending criminal cases and is a convicted felon, according to WFSB.
Video from the scene can be viewed on the news report from WFSB on YouTube.
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