The second man wanted in connection with the bloody beating death
of an Ecuadoran immigrant—mistakenly believed to be gay—has been arrested and made a full confession.
Twenty-eight-year-old Keith Phoenix was arrested in a pre-dawn raid. Surveillance video and traffic cameras led police to man who they say wielded the lethal baseball bat in the vicious December 7 Brooklyn attack of Jose Sucuzhanay. The Ecuadoran immigrant was walking arm in arm with his brother to keep warm when two men jumped from an SUV. Witnesses say the thugs shouted anti-Hispanic and anti-gay slurs.
Phoenix was caught on camera smiling as he pulled into an RFK bridge toll booth just 19 minutes after the Dec. 7 beating of Jose Sucuzhanay, was nabbed after an acquaintance saw the video in the media and called police.
"The cops just called and told me they caught the second man," said the victim's younger brother, Diego Sucuzhanay. "He is the one who was the real attacker - who beat my brother with the bat. "I saw the video of him, laughing. It is a great relief to know this person is behind bars because he would continue to commit crimes. Now there will be no more victims."
On Thursday, Phoenix's accomplice Hakim Scott was arraigned on second-degree murder as a hate crime.
What type of a depraved human being laughs after beating a complete stranger to a pulp? We'll let the jury answer that question.
Second Suspect in Fatal Beating Arrested [NY1]
Sucuzhanay Hate Crime Suspect Nabbed [NYDN]
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Arrest After Fatal "Anti-Gay" Baseball Bat Attack [R20]
Ecuadoran Immigrant Dies After Brutal Attack [R20]
Police Search for Suspects in Brooklyn Attack [R20]
Candlelight Vigils for Victim of Brooklyn Hate Attack [R20]
It would be so nice to hear they and the animals who chased Michael Sandy to his death on the Belt Parkway (only to drag him back onto the median to rifle through his pockets) are all brutally raped.
I hope they all suffer through a soul train line style rape by the most muscle bound drag queens behind bars doing life with no fear of retaliation.
Posted by: gurlene | 27 February 2009 at 16:36
This story clearly shows us that homophobia has over taken racism as the worst form of prejudice today. I used to associate racists people with attacking folks with baseball bats. After suffering from lynchings in the south, being spit on by racists, and suffering firebombs by racists, this is what some black people do to others that are different than them? This is how they respect Dr. King and others? See, also this serves as an example that the there is only one race; the human race.
Posted by: Mel Smith | 27 February 2009 at 17:48
I co-sign with Gurlene. They gone def. be introduced to Homophobia in the worst way. I hope they get a baseball bat shoved up both their rectums!! A darn shame what gays have to put up with just trying to life live!
Posted by: AzzedineAliaFan | 27 February 2009 at 18:55
My sentiments exactly Mel.
Posted by: Kevin | 27 February 2009 at 20:08
Let them receive a measure of mercy from the jury, equal to that which they have dispensed to Jose Sucuzhanay.
Posted by: Nathan James | 27 February 2009 at 23:08
I'm relieved that the guy was arrested, but I'm frustrated that it took the NYPD so long. They need to start taking heterosexist and racist hate crimes like this more seriously.
Posted by: libhomo | 28 February 2009 at 10:58
I'm glad they were caught. I trust they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Posted by: Astucious | 28 February 2009 at 11:42
So both the attackers were Blacks, Reverend Jakes and and his ilk are probably going to make saints out of them, as far as they are concerned the murderers' only error was in their target selection.
Posted by: daniel anthony | 02 March 2009 at 12:00