Four Teens Caught and Charged on DC Gay Attack and Robbery on Gay Couple
Police say a young gay couple in Washington, D.C., was assaulted Sunday in what is being investigated as a hate crime.
Carl Craven and Braden Brecht were attacked by what they described online as "a mob of 15 guys" outside of a bar.
Four teenagers have been arrested and charged with robbery with force and violence, according to D.C. police.
The investigation continues as police have found two additional leads, said Craven. He tells USA TODAY that there were 12 people at the scene.
"They went on to assault and rob other parties within the hour," Craven told USA TODAY. "They started with us, and they just kept going."
Suspects began to call the couple a homophobic slur before attacking Brecht, per the description, and Craven jumped in to defend Brecht.
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"Instinctively, I just jumped on top of him and tried to shield him and was shouting, 'Help, help, help!'" Craven told NBC Washington. Brecht suffered a cut lip and what appears to be a swollen eye, as well as a tooth chipped in the altercation. Brecht's phone and Craven's wallet were also stolen.
Brecht "will also have to go get further tests done because of persistent, severe headaches," writes Craven in their GoFundMe page.
Craven told USA TODAY that the couple moved to D.C. a month ago for an internship position he held at an energy nonprofit.
Since the incident, Craven said that they have found an outpouring of support from the LGBT community both in D.C. and elsewhere.
"The amount of people that have reached out to us from people who have lived here and have lived all over the place has been insane," he said to USA TODAY. "I didn't realize how close-knit the D.C. gay community is. We've gotten a lot of support."
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