A 37-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an alleged anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime targeting a 12-year-old boy near a playground in Manhattan earlier this year.
According to the NYPD, Kevin Maxwell allegedly approached the boy outside a public restroom at the Baruch Playground on the Lower East Side on 29 April, shouted anti-gay slurs at him, and struck him with a belt, as per Pix 11.
The child sustained minor injuries, while the suspect fled the scene and remained at large for several months.
Maxwell was arrested just before 1 AM on Sunday (5 July) and has been charged with multiple offences, including two counts of hate crime assault, assault, acting in a manner injurious to a child, hate crime menacing, and menacing, the New York Post reported. Arrest records indicate Maxwell is being held on a $30,001.00 bond.
Police released a sketch of the suspect last month as part of their investigation.
The case is being prosecuted as an alleged hate crime due to the reported anti-LGBTQ+ language used during the attack. If convicted, hate crime enhancements can carry more severe penalties under New York law.
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