Deputy Says Reported Attacks on Gay Men Appear Unrelated

A deputy from the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station says the string of violent attacks on gay men that took place during Oct. 18-22 were unrelated.

"They are just isolated incidents of alleged victims that were gay, not gay bashing in West Hollywood," Sgt. Brian Lutz of the told Patch on Wedesday. "But it is an ongoing investigation," Lutz added.

Gayborhood blog WeHo Confidential reported the first incident occurred Oct. 18, when a clubgoer, Billy Mandrick, was "brutally attacked and robbed" near Santa Monica and Robertson boulevards. The attacker reportedly approached the victim, yelled homophobic slurs, punched him in the face, grabbed his cellphone and wallet, and vanished.

Another incident reportedly took place at about 7:15 p.m. on Oct. 19. Kasey Mahaffy told WeHo Confidential that he was on his way to his local grocery store at Fountain and Laurel avenues when four "Abercrombie-clad frat boys" jumped out of a blue Nissan and attacked him. Mahaffy said he sustained 13 punches.

The latest attack reportedly occurred on Saturday. employee Kyan Loredo told WeHo Confidential he was walking on Fairfax Avenue between Fountain and Sunset Boulevard at about 7 p.m. when he heard a voice behind him say, “Don’t turn around.” Laredo said the assailant then bashed him over the head with the barrel of a gun, stole his cash and ran.

Lutz insisted the string of incidents did not indicate a trend. "They are not related to each other," he told Patch. "It is just something that happened within the week."

Lutz went on to say: "We still, as we always have with this community, do our due diligence to make sure everyone is safe, regardless of whether they are gay or just a citizen walking down the road." He noted that hate crimes this year were down 22 percent from last year.

The West Hollywood Station's investigation is still under way. West Hollywood Patch will stay on top of the story.

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