Watch CBS News

9th Suspect Arrested In Bronx Anti-Gay Beatings

NEW YORK (AP/CBS 2) -- Police have arrested a ninth suspect in the anti-gay attack and torture of two teenage boys and a 30-year-old man in the Bronx.

Police say members of the Bronx violent felony squad arrested 22-year-old Ruddy Vargas-Perez shortly before 5 p.m. Monday.

It wasn't immediately clear where he was arrested. Vargas-Perez had agreed to turn himself in, but police say the suspect had failed to show up before as promised.

Vargas-Perez's lawyer said his client was not at the scene of the crime.

"The public should know that Rudy Vargas is as outraged and incensed about the conduct of these people and what they did," Benjamin Heinrich told CBS 2's Pablo Guzman.

Guzman also spoke with one of the 17-year-olds, who police said was tortured for information about a gay man's address.

The teen said he was kicked and punched in the basement of an abandoned building on Osborne Place.

Police said the gang really wanted to know the address of the man they thought had a secret relationship with a recruit they thought was gay.

Eight other suspects were arraigned Sunday on robbery and sexual assault charges in the Oct. 3 attack.

Police say Latin King Goonies gang members went on a rampage after learning the 30-year-old man had sex with a teenage recruit, and beat and tortured all three for hours.

(TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.