Charges Dropped Against Florida Family Accused Of Beating Gay Man Dating Their Son, Victim Is Now Blind

The Associated Press reports:

South Florida prosecutors dropped criminal charges on Tuesday against a couple and their adult son who had been accused of severely beating a man who had been in a relationship with the son. Yevhen Makarenko, his wife, Inna, and their son Oleh had each been charged with attempted murder, burglary and kidnapping in the August 2021 beating, the Sun Sentinel reported. Prosecutors had filed hate crime charges against them in April 2022.

Broward County Assistant State Attorney Veronica Walker wrote in a memorandum outlining the decision not to prosecute that a crime appears to have been committed, but there is no likelihood of conviction. Defense attorney George Palaidis said the Makarenkos were at home when the attack occurred, as prosecutors acknowledged that cellphone records failed to place the family at the crime scene.

From my April 2022 report:

Members of a Ukrainian refugee family appeared in a South Florida courtroom on Wednesday. That’s where they are facing hate crime and attempted murder charges for an alleged family ambush.

Police say Oleh Makarenko was in a nine-month homosexual relationship, which would end with his lover being beaten so badly by Makarenko’s family that the victim became blind. Authorities allege that Oleh Makarenko, who is also known as Alex, was being forced to marry a woman by his mother.

On Aug. 6, three members of the Makarenko family barged into the victims home, according to police. A police report stated that, “All four of the suspects continued holding him and began punching, kicking, and hitting him all over his face and body.”

Prosecutors drop charges against family accused of beating gay Pompano Beach man https://t.co/ueUAEvk5Pk

— South Florida Sun Sentinel (@SunSentinel) February 20, 2024

Three FL Family Members Face Life In Alleged Hate Crime Beating That Left Gay Man Permanently Blinded – https://t.co/poBjrV2Ksh pic.twitter.com/bAZGpD2Y3k

— JoeMyGod (@JoeMyGod) April 13, 2022

Police: Brutal Beating That Left Florida Gay Man Blind Came Because Victim Was Dating Family’s Son [VIDEO] – https://t.co/Ak8er2mTiE pic.twitter.com/QlSQMv1B1m

— JoeMyGod (@JoeMyGod) April 21, 2022

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