Victim Wants Hate Crimes Charges Brought Against Alleged Assailant Who Asked If He Was Gay Before Attack

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A South Florida man says he was attacked by a man while he was walking his dog Sunday morning.

The assailant allegedly approached James Garcia, asked him if he was gay and when he didn’t get a reply, he punched him in the face.

Garcia says it happened in the 2700 block of N Ocean Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.

The alleged attacker, Maurice Antwan Charles, is now in custody.

Past mugshot for Maurice Antwan Charles. (Source: Florida Department of Law Enforcement)

But Garcia says he’s worried because police haven’t yet charged the suspect with a hate crime.

Charles was released from prison in December of last year.

He was convicted of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in 2017 and had an aggravated battery case in 2008.

Tuesday night, he’s facing yet another aggravated battery charge.

Officials are still investigating to decide if they should charge Charles with a hate crime as well.