Suspect identified in chair bashing attack on gay couple in Manhattan restaurant

NEW YORK — New York police say they have identified the suspect in an attack earlier this month inside a Manhattan restaurant in which a same-sex couple was bashed over the head with a wooden chair.

NYPD identified El-Amin Bayna as the attacker, but have not been able to take him into custody, reports WABC-TV.

Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said El-Amin “is a career criminal” and that NYPD believes he has fled the state.

The attack on Ethan York-Adams, 25, and Jonathan Snipes, 32, occured May 5 inside the Dallas BBQ restaurant in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, where the victims had gone to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

While at the restaurant, Snipes got a text about a death in his family and needed to leave the restaurant quickly, he said. As he headed out, he accidentally knocked over a drink, he said.

“A table near us audibly started making pretty gross comments about the two of us like, ‘White faggots, spilling drinks,’” Snipes said.

Snipes said he confronted the men at the table when the attacker stood up and escalated the verbal confrontation.

“He turned it into a physical altercation very quickly,” he added.

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Witness Isaam Sharef caught the attack on video and posted it to YouTube and Instagram. The video shows Snipes being flung to the floor and kicked as others screamed, “Stop!”

Watch:

WCBS-TV reports that El-Amin has 15 prior arrests including Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan and New Jersey. Most of the arrests are for assault and drug possession.