A lesbian couple on Long Island were attacked during the early morning hours of July 7 in an assault that police say they are investigating as a hate crime.
Kimberly Page told Suffolk police she and her girlfriend had been socializing with co-workers and friends in a local bar prior to the assault.
After leaving the bar, the couple were approached on the street by a group of four men, one of whom made homophobic comments to Page’s girlfriend asking why she would want to be with another female.
The women say they ignored the men, but the group persisted. Page says she told them, “I’m trying to make it known I’m not trying to fight or have an altercation.”
Page told Newsweek: “My girlfriend [was] in high heels, a little bit more feminine than I am, and [the suspect said] ‘I’m not going to fight you because you’re a woman, I’m going to fight her,’ meaning me, ‘ because she’s a man.’”
At that point, the man slapped Page’s girlfriend, knocking her to the ground, and then he punched Page causing her to lose consciousness.
“I know now that he was bashing my head on the concrete ground multiple times,” Page told reporters at a press conference. “While that is going on, another one of the men was holding and pushing my girlfriend to the ground, in order for her not to help me.”
A #Patchogue woman is now sharing her story of being assaulted 10 days ago in #PatchogueVillage – she says the men yelled #antigay slurs before the #attack @SCPDHq investigating as possible #HateCrime #bias #news12li @News12LI pic.twitter.com/ynRLR5Dns3
— Eileen Lehpamer (@ELehpamer12) July 17, 2019
Both women were taken to nearby Long Island Community Hospital. Page was held overnight and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, and her girlfriend was treated for injuries as well.
At the press conference, Page’s mother, said, “We love Kimberly, we love everything about Kimberly. We wouldn’t change anything about her. But every time she leave the house, I’m afraid.”
Suffolk County Police are offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the attack.
Anyone with pertinent information can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers via anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS, texting “SCPD” and your message to “CRIMES” (274637) or by email at www.tipsubmit.com. All calls, text messages and emails will be kept confidential.
Suffolk County police say they are looking for the man circled in the surveillance photo below in conjunction with the attack.
