7 Salisbury University students face assault, hate crime charges in off-campus incident

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7 Salisbury University students face assault, hate crime charges in off-campus incident

Keith Demko Salisbury Daily Times


Seven Salisbury University students face assault and hate crime charges in an incident that, according to police, occurred at an off-campus apartment complex. … Here's what we know now.

On Oct. 31, 2024, the Salisbury Police Department was contacted by members of the Salisbury University Police Department regarding an assault that was alleged to have occurred in an off-campus apartment complex for college-aged students. Detectives met with witnesses and observed cellular phone video of an adult male victim being assaulted by several college-aged men.

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During the course of the investigation, detectives identified and met with the victim from the video. Detectives discovered that on Oct. 15, 2024, a group of men used a social media account and invited the victim to a residence within the 1400 block of University Terrace under false pretenses.

When the victim responded and entered the residence, numerous college-aged men surrounded the victim and forced him to sit in a chair isolated in the middle of the living room. After being forcefully seated, the victim was kicked, punched and spit on while the men called him derogatory names, according to police.

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[Phoenix61]

1. I grew up in a college town. We called them frat rats.

I avoided them like the plague they were.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. 7 SU students charged with alleged hate crime off-campus

David Bohenick
10 hours ago
3 min read

7 SU students charged with alleged hate crime off-campus

Seven Salisbury University students were arrested on assault and hate crime charges in connection with an attack that the Salisbury Police Department says occurred at an off-campus apartment complex. The incident happened in University Park, a nearby apartment complex, on Oct. 15, according to police.

Police say detectives met with witnesses and obtained cell phone footage of the victim being assaulted by several college-aged men. According to CBS, police discovered that one of the men created a Grindr account and posed as a 16-year-old to lure the victim to their residence where he was then assaulted.

The victim told police when he entered the apartment he was surrounded by a group of college-aged-men who forced him to sit in a chair, punched him, kicked him, spit on him and called him derogatory names. The victim tried leaving multiple times but was thrown onto the floor every time. … The assault lasted for several minutes until the victim was finally allowed to leave, according to police. He was left with bruises all over his body and a broken rib.

Police identified Ryder Baker, 20, Bennan Aird, 18, Riley Brister, 20, Cruz Cespedes, 19, Dylan Earp, 20, Elijah Johnson, 19, and Zachary Leinemann, 18, as seven of the alleged perpetrators. All seven suspects were charged with first-degree assault, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment and other associated hate crime charges. … According to CBS, the victim believes he was targeted because of his sexual orientation. Police haven’t shared if the victim was an SU student.

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