Attacking, Assaulting, Robbing Is not the Answer

4 Charged in N.Y. Mexican Immigrant Attack
ROCKY POINT, N.Y.

Two Mexican immigrants fishing off a Long Island jetty were attacked by a group of white teenagers who beat them and stole their money while using racial and ethnic slurs, police said.

The four young men have been charged with robbery and assault as hate crimes in connection with the Monday night attack. They were arraigned Wednesday in a Suffolk County court.

Authorities identified the defendants as Nicholas Provenzano, 19; Daniel Sturgis, 19, and Jesse Lee Ward, 18, all of Rocky Point. A 16- year-old also was charged.

Attorney James D'Angelo, who represented Ward and Foley in court, said all four had entered not guilty pleas.

"They are denying involvement in this," D'Angelo said.

Police said the two Mexican men, who were not identified, were not seriously injured.

Long Island has been the site of other anti-immigrant incidents. In two Mexican men were beaten by two locals in Farmingville who promised them work. On July 4, 2003, a Mexican family barely escaped with their lives after teens set their Farmingville house ablaze by shooting fireworks through a window.

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Many seem to think that the Illegal Illmigration issue is mainly felt in the southern states, but proof that this thinking is completely incorrect is right here.

This is not some random act, this is becoming a pattern as this "debate" continues.

The more our government stalls with this issue the worse this will get. I can see this escalating more, from childish fireworks and assualt and roberry to escalate into beatings and possibly even killings.

This is NOT how we are to do things in America.

And I will fully support the maximum sentence for those that take their frustrations and anger out on others, whether they are here legally or illegally, they do not deserve to be treated like that. Unfortunately the article does not state whether they are legal or illegal immigrant, but for the reason of the Law, that should not matter when it comes to Assualt, Robbery, Arson, ect.

You feel they have broken the Law, report them, call the police - but you do not take the Law into your own hands, and I will fully support prosecution to the full extent of the Law for those that do.

This is being labeled as a Hate Crime, and I am not completely certain that it isn't a Hate Crime. One group, one nationality is being targeted and I would say that constitutes a Hate Crime personally.

Definitions of Hate Crime on the Web:

Crime of aggravated assault, arson, burglary, criminal homicide, motor vehicle theft, robbery, sex offenses, and/or crime involving bodily injury in which the victim was intentionally selected because of the victims' actual or perceived race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability.
Otterbein College: Uniform Crime Reporting Definitions


An offense committed against another person, with the specific intent to cause harm to that person due to their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or culture, etc.
Alaska Juvenile Justice Definition


A hate crime (bias crime), loosely defined, is a crime committed because of the perpetrator's prejudices. This is a controversial political issue within the US. The US Congress (HR 4797 - 1992) defined a hate crime as: "[a crime in which] the defendant's conduct was motivated by hatred, bias, or prejudice, based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity of another individual or group of individuals. ...
Wikipedia Definition

There is no excuse for such behaviour.