3 charged with hate crimes in gay man's death

updated 5:49 a.m. ET Oct. 26, 2006

NEW YORK - Three men have been indicted on hate crimes charges in the death of a gay man who was attacked alongside a parkway then hit by a car while trying to escape, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Michael Sandy, 29, died five days after the Oct. 13 attack when he was taken off life support.

Anthony Fortunato, 20, was indicted Wednesday after the indictments last week of John Fox, 19, and Ilya Shurov, 20. They were charged with numerous counts including second-degree murder as a hate crime and first-degree attempted robbery as a hate crime, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes said.

If convicted, they each could serve 25 years to life in prison.

Prosecutors said the defendants met Sandy in an online gay chat room and arranged to meet him at a popular spot for gay men seeking sexual encounters.

They intended to rob Sandy, prosecutors said, but when one of the defendants punched him, he ran onto the Belt Parkway, where he was struck by a car.

A lawyer for Fox, Philip Smallman, said his client didn’t attack Sandy.

Fox’s father said he couldn’t imagine that his son was involved in such an attack.

“He never did anything like that before, so why would he be rabidly anti-gay?” John Fox Sr. said.

A lawyer for Fortunato, Joseph Mure, did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment Wednesday. There was no telephone listing for a Shurov in Brooklyn.

MORE FROM CRIME & COURTS

Crime & courts Section Front

Authorities suspend search for missing N.C. girl Funerals held for some Fort Hood victims Madoff's Mets jacket sells for $14,500 Obama: Congress should wait on Fort Hood Former congressman sentenced to 13 years ‘Balloon boy’ parents plead guilty Evangelist gets 175 years for child sex Lawmaker: Hasan linked to Pakistan Suspected serial killer had previous arrest Dugard suspect apologizes for ‘sexual problem’ Crime & courts Section Front   Add Crime & courts headlines to your news reader: