No Jail Time for Four Men Convicted of Brutal Homophobic Attack
Four men in Florida were convicted yesterday for the brutal 2018 assault on two gay men holding hands in a public restroom in Miami, but escaped jail time thanks in part to the kindness of the victims.A jury found Adonis Diaz, Juan Lopez, Pablo Romo, and Luis Alonso guilty of two counts of felony battery charges for the April 8, 2018 assault on Dmitry Logonov and Rene Chalarca.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan sentenced the men to five years of probation but also required the men to publicly apologize to the victims, both of whom were in court.Logonov said he moved to the U.S.
to avoid persecution for his sexual identity, only to become a victim of the brutal attack. On Monday, however, he showed compassion for his attackers and offered them the opportunity to rebuild their lives.“Today, I’m taking a chance to rebuild my life,” Logonov wrote in a statement that was read to the court by Hate Crimes Unit Division Chief Justin Funck. “I believe these gentlemen should have that chance, too.”“I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn from my mistakes,” said Diaz in a brief statement to the court and his victims.“I’m here to offer my sincere apologies,” echoed Romo-Figueroa. “My actions that day don’t define who I am or how I was raised.”Boyfriends Logonov and Chalarca were holding hands in line in a public restroom during South Beach Pride celebrations in 2018 when they accidentally brushed against Lopez.
After yelling an antigay slur in Spanish, Lopez and his three friends brutally attacked the gay men. The beating continued onto the streets, where it was partially captured on surveillance video.
