Jackson Sugrue, 19, Charged With Brutal Hate Crime

Jackson Sugrue, 19, of Framingham, Mass., has been officially charged with a hate crime in the brutal beating of a gay man he allegedly held captive for four days.

Police found the victim identified as Otoni Eliseu, 50, laying on the ground on Saturday June 29 in the suburb of Boston. Eliseu was found “bloodied and bruised”, said police. The victim told police that he had been held captive in a basement apartment for four days without food or water. He further claims that he was brutally beaten by Jackson Sugrue who during the beating, used gay insults while beating him.

Police located and arrested Jackson Sugrue. The young 19 year-old is being charged with a hate crime, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery and intimidation of a witness.

According to police, the victim Otoni Eliseu, was living in a basement apartment that is part of a church. The pastor had offered Eliseu the apartment a few weeks ago to help him out since he was homeless. Eliseu admitted to Boston’s WFXT that he and Sugrue had been using drugs together last Wednesday when Sugrue suddenly turned violent.

According to Eliseu, Sugrue beat him with objects including a fire extinguisher and a coffee table while telling him during the beating…“I know you’re gay,” said Eliseu said. According to Eliseu he managed to break out of the basement apartment on Saturday and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

During a court hearing held on Monday July 2, Sugrue’s attorney denied the charges, and said his client was the victim of gay advances and that the victim was the aggressor.

So what some are already saying is that some how some way, an advance upon Sugrue must have taken place since they were both using drugs in the basement apartment and judging by the statement that the victim gave of the attack, it does appear that a sexual advance may have triggered the violent out break.

Article by: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer