12 Salisbury Univ. students charged with hate crimes for allegedly beating man over his sexual preferences, police say
Twelve students at Salisbury University in Maryland have been charged with hate crimes after they allegedly targeted a man over his sexual preferences by inviting him to an off-campus apartment where they beat him and used derogatory names, police said.
The students, aged 18 to 21, have been charged with first-degree assault, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment and associated hate crime charges, the Salisbury Police Department said in a news release Thursday.
They are: Ryder Baker, 20; Bennan Aird, 18; Riley Brister, 20; Cruz Cespedes, 19; Dylan Earp, 20; Elijah Johnson, 19; Zachary Leinemann, 18; Cameron Guy, 18; Jacob Howard, 19; Eric Sinclair, 21; Patrick Gutierrez, 19; and Dylan Pietuszka, 20. All are from Maryland, except Aird, who is from Delaware.
Police said they were contacted by the Salisbury University police department on Oct. 31 about an assault that allegedly occurred in an off-campus apartment complex for college-aged students. In the probe, detectives met with witnesses and say they saw cellphone video depicting "an adult male victim being assaulted by several college-aged men."
The investigation found that on Oct. 15, a group of men had used a social media account to invite an adult man to a residence in the 1400 block of University Terrace "under false pretenses," police said.
When the victim entered the home, "numerous college-aged men surrounded the victim and forced him to sit in a chair isolated in the middle of the living room," police said.
After he was "forcefully seated," the victim "was kicked, punched, and spit on while the men called the victim derogatory names," according to the police.
The victim tried to leave multiple times but was thrown to the floor each time, police said.
The assault lasted for several minutes before he was ultimately allowed to leave, police said.
The victim sought medical assistance for "sustained bruising throughout his body as well as a broken rib," police said.
Police said the investigation "revealed that the victim was targeted due to his sexual preferences."
Several of those charged are members or associates of a fraternity at the school, police said. Salisbury University President Carolyn Ringer Lepre wrote on X that the students arrested have been placed on suspension , which includes being restricted from campus and barred from academic coursework. Further, the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon has been placed on suspension, Lepre said.
Steve Rakow, an attorney for Brister, told NBC News Friday that his client will plead not guilty to the charges.
"It's very unfortunate that Salisbury University has jumped to conclusions by suspending these young men before there has been any findings related to this incident," he said.
NBC News has reached out to attorneys for Aird and Leinemann. The others had no attorney information listed. All of the students were released this week on recognizance bonds, except Pietuszka who has his bond hearing Friday.
Lepre denounced the attack in a message sent to students, faculty and university staff.
"The right words escape me — they feel inadequate in fully conveying the weight of the shock and disbelief we all share," she said. "The thought of SU students perpetuating any crime is upsetting, but the thought of SU students perpetrating crimes of such a disturbing nature is truly horrifying."
She said "acts of violence toward LGBTQ+ and Ally communities are not only destructive but at odds with the principles of community, respect and belonging that bind us together as a university."
Salisbury University is a public university with about 6,200 undergraduate students. A community vigil and unity walk will be held Monday on campus.
