Brooklyn man charged with hate crimes for hitting boy with belt in anti-gay attack in Manhattan

A 37-year-old Brooklyn man was indicted for allegedly hitting a 12-year-old boy with a belt in a disturbing homophobic attack on a playground in the Lower East Side earlier this year, prosecutors announced on Aug. 6. The Office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the boy was with friends at Baruch Playground at NYCHA's Bernard M. Baruch Houses at around 6 p.m. on April 29 when the alleged assailant, Kevin Maxwell, approached the boy and told him he should watch his belongings. Prosecutors say the boy did not respond and instead opted to hum and sing to himself, prompting Maxwell to call the minor "stupid" and voice an anti-gay remark. At that point, Maxwell allegedly went to a building nearby and returned with a belt. He proceeded to hit the child with a belt with such force that it lacerated his shoulder, and he repeatedly called the boy "gay," according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. Maxwell, who was arrested on July 5, was ultimately hit with one count of assault in the second degree as a hate crime; one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree; one count of assault in the third degree as a hate crime; one count of endangering the welfare of a child; and one count of aggravated harassment in the second degree. The first three of those charges are felonies, while two are misdemeanors. “Hate crimes undermine the values of dignity, safety and inclusion that define our city,” Bragg said in a written statement. “As alleged, Kevin Maxwell violently attacked an innocent and vulnerable child — a stranger — while directing hateful language at him. Every child deserves to feel safe in our parks and other shared spaces, and we are dedicated to protecting New Yorkers by using every tool available to hold those who commit bias-motivated attacks accountable.”