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(Santa Fe, New Mexico) Five people have pleaded not guilty in the attack on a 21-year-old Santa Fe man beaten to unconsciousness and the bashing of his boyfriend.
Seventeen-year-old David Trinidad, 18-year-old Joseph Cano, 20-year-old Gabriel Maturin, 23-year-old Jonathan Valdez and 20-year-old Paul Montoya, all of Santa Fe, entered their pleas before state District Judge Stephen Pfeffer.
A sixth man, Isaia Medina, 19, has previously pleaded not guilty.
The district attorney and attorney general will be jointly prosecuting the case. Both of them said they believe this is the first time Nex Mexico's new hate crime enhancements have been sought where the victim is gay.
James Maestas and his friend Joshua Stockham 24, of Albuquerque had just finished lunch on February 27 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.
A police statement says 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 the statement said.
Trinidad, who had waited on them in the restaurant, was just finishing work and came outside. The statement said that Trinidad knew the five men and joined in the rock throwing.
Trinidad, the police statement said, 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 "fucking those faggots up". The statement also quotes Trinidad as telling investigators that they referred to Stockham and Maestas as "fucking 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. Stockham was treated at hospital and released.
Maestas was released from hospital 10 days after he was attacked, but his family say he is not out of the woods yet.
His lungs were damaged in the attack, and there is the risk of further infection, a spokesperson for his parents said.
The attack galvanized the Santa Fe gay community. Earlier this month about 300 people attended a candlelight vigil to show support for Maestas. Among the attendees was Gov. Bill Richardson and Police Chief Beverly Lennen.
©365Gay.com 2005
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