8/14/2013
By Ivan Pereira
Two men became the latest victims of this year’s string of gay hate crimes early Wednesday morning after they were allegedly assaulted in Chelsea by a group of men.
Michael Felenchak and Peter Notman, 27 and 53, respectively, said they were holding hands while walking near 9th Avenue and West 24th Street around 1 a.m. when the two suspects confronted them and shouted anti-gay slurs.
The argument escalated and four more men joined the suspects and beat the pair before running away, police said.
The victims, one of whom needed seven stitches, returned to the spot of the attack with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and state Sen. Brad Hoylman Wednesday evening to call for an end to the hate crimes.
“We need to send a message to people who think they are going to get away with this, because they won’t get away with this,” Quinn, who is openly gay and running for mayor, said.
No arrests were made in the assault by press time and the investigation was ongoing, police said.
There have been 65 reported hate crime incidents as of July 28 compared to 29 during the same period last year, according to the NYPD.
