Four Arrested in Internet Set-Up

Four young men are arrested and at least one is charged in connection with the brutal beating of Michael Sandy—the nephew of the popular entertainer Calypso Rose—who was lured to a remote parking lot after an encounter in an internet chat room.

Nineteen year-old John Fox of Brooklyn faces assault, robbery and hate crime charges. Detectives say tell WCBS that this is not the first time Fox has lured a gay man from an online chat room to a remote location promising sex, only to leave him severely beaten.

Police say the teen and his accomplices say they are straight and targeted Sandy in the chat room because "he was an easy mark." Sources say three of the attackers are white, which led to initial suspicions that the attack along the Belt Parkway was race-related.

Michael Sandy will turn 29 tomorrow and is an interior designer for Ikea. He remains brain-dead at Brookdale Hospital and his family is agonizing over taking him off the respirator. His aunt is Calypso Rose, the popular singer from Tobago who is in NYC with the family: "From what I see, only a miracle could bring back that boy. Right now, things are not looking good."

Belt Pkwy Bias Attack Suspect Arraigned (WCBS)

B'klyn Gay Bash Horror Was Cyber Set-Up (NY Post)

Rose's Rephew Beaten, Now in Coma (Trinidad News)

More NYC Gay Bashing:

Brooklyn Gay Bashing Update (Rod 2.0) Gay Man Beaten in Vicious Attack? (Rod 2.0) Man Found in Prospect Park (Rod 2.0) Hate Trial Begins (Rod 2.0) NYPD Denies Lead (Rod 2.0) "So Freaked Out" (Rod 2.0) Hate Trial Begins (Rod 2.0) Rashawn Brazell: A Memorial (Rod 2.0) Six Months (Rod 2.0) Mother's Day Blues (Rod 2.0)

Comments

[Lee Owens]

Hey Rod, thanks for being the first to report this story and even for the new angle, about those creeps using the 'net before and for the victim' aunt being a popular calypso singer.

I noticed that a few of the blogs jumped on the bandwagon yesterday after you reported this on Tuesday. Ironically, Towleroad and the other blogs neglected to say the attackers were white--if the situation were reversed, you know they will say the attackers were black and punlish mug shots.

[Greg]

This is just a horrible tragedy. I pray for the family.

[Henry TW]

Apparently the boys were looking for the cell phone, which would have lead police to them. Thankfully they never got it.

To Lee: I also noticed that some white gay sites and blogs posted this story, albeit late. At least they are trying. We are all gay and suffering. But you're right, if he was a Chelsea boy, this would have dominated their discussions and the race angle would have been discussed. Let's just be thankful the suspects were caught.

[Jimmy David]

Good catch on the Trinidad angle. I'm Trini myself.

[Brandon]

The white gay blogs?

HaHa The black gay blogs ignore important stories like this in favor of Oprah, gossip and the obligatory "Noah's Arc" fawning. Even Keith Boykin was a day or two late on this one but is now trying to play catch-up. But he has been letting us know what tv shows we can fimd him on...

[BL]

Lee and Henry, I have to disagree somewhat. The blogs are not CNN or MSNBC, they d not have to inform or educate. A blog is just a blog. Some are better than others and some, like Towleroad or Rod 2.0, are more newsy and many people read them to find out the daily gay agenda.

This is a tragic story. Very sad. However, the NYPD made some speedy arrests. And, the news media was quiet sensitive to the family and the community.

[Samuel I]

These men should definitely be charged with a hate crime because they targeted him because he was gay.

But why aren't they being charged with attempted murder?

[scott]

In order to charge them with murder, you have to prove they wanted to kill him. This soundslike a gay-related robbery gone very very bad.

[patrick s]

Brandon, let's be honest. There is a huge difference between Keith and Rod. Keith Boykin is an accomplished activist and Rod is apparently an accomplished news producer and writer. Rod's take is more, here is the news, this is what is going on. But it's more than obvious that Boykin is more interested in promoting himself.

Ironically, he had that discussion with Keith Hamilton Cobb and mentioned "Quincy's" -media-whoredom but never turned that into a conversation about himself.

[marc]

I'm not sure how this became a discussion of Keith versus Rod but it's obvious they have much different backgrounds. IMHO, we're lucky to have two resources. Between both of them, wqwe learn what is going on.

That being said, let's not forget that this family will probably have to take this boy off the respirator. Charges could be upgraded to felony manslaughter.

[Nick]

As the aunt said, I'm praying for a miracle.

[patrick s]

I didn't mean to make this comment thread a referendum on either of our premier bloggers. It's just very obvious that for all practical purposess, this is the site that everyone goes to get their information and they they run with it. But I am so glad that Keith and Rod are friends and not competitive. As gay black men, we do not need that.

[Derrick]

That is so stupid to lure people offline and rob them. But the boys are figuring that the victims will be ashamed or scaredc and will not fight back or press charges.

[Anon]

Of course the white gays will downplay the race angle when a white man is doing the bashing. But when they are bashed by one of us they will play up the race angle.

Remember those white gay men who were bashed in St. Maarten? Towleroad and the other blogs didn't even report that one called one of the islanders a "nigger."

[ATL Kid]

This is just a horror much worst than a film. That poor family and man.

[Zoe Wills]

This has become an interesting thread. I am black and found this blog last year. Towleroad is a very good blog but its audience and aesthetic is very Abercrombie and Abercrombie wannabe. Thats okay. They mentioned this story, which is also good. But just because a blog doesn't report a particular story doesnt mean too much, they don't have to. BL's analogy was very good, Rod 2.0 is more like a black Towleroad, it's much more sophisticated than Keith Boykin or the other black gay blogs. Politics, arts, news, it's not trying to be activist. So, it's no surprise that he tends to break the news first. used to follow keith, but it became more about him and his friends and less about the community.

[Dennis]

I met michael when I worked in Canton Michigan during an IKEA buildup. A lot of us only knew him for those 4 weeks but he was really cool and totally doesn't deserve to die.

I can't believe that this day in age, straight white men (which I have to say I am) feel the need to continue hating gays. I don't think things will ever change.

[timothy]

My thoughts to the family.

[timothy]

My thoughts to the family.

[Myles]

I'm so glad that they caught these young men. I'm so very pleased that everyone is standing up for this young man. Unfortunately, it looks like he may have to be pulled off the respirator. Very sad and tragic.

[Richard]

This is truly sad and deeply disturbing. The police need to charge these goons with attempted murder; Mr. Sandy was obviously fleeing in fear for his life when he ran onto the roadway and into the path of the car -- just like Michael Stewart did in Howard Beach in the 80's.

Let's not forget the creep that hit him and kept on driving. I hope they catch him and throw him in jail also. I have never been able to understand how somebody can hit someone and keep on driving. That's so disturbing.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.

[Ken Harper]

This was the Belt Parkway. If someone ran into lanes and you're going 60mph, kind of hard to stop. I'm sure they realized they hit someone and should have returned to the scene. But I sncerely doubt they could have stopped.

[Richard]

So it was the Belt Parkway...that excuses the behavior? The point is they didn't stop and go back isn't it. If you hit something like a human being, I'm sure you'd know it. Sounds more like an excuse, "I didn't know what I hit, blah, blah." They must have figured out they hit a man by now. Don't you think?

[Ken Harper]

Never said I excused it, actually said "the driver should have returned to the scene?

But it wasn't intentional, it was a man running onto the freeway late at night, you wouldn't be able to stop either--or you would get rear-ended.

Relax, Richard. You'e among friends here. I tend to believe Rod's readers are more intelligent than those at many blogs.

[A. Ronald]

Let's not fight amongst ourselves. Those horrible men were caught, the public is very upset and the state wants to try them. Let's be glad that we have two great voices who help us better ourselves as black gay men.