Carlos — a gay resident of Jackson Heights, Queens, who refused to give his last name — says a stranger attacked him in the early morning hours of October 13 and stole his belongings after the stranger exposed himself and demanded oral intercourse.
Carlos told Gay City News that during his walk home from a friend’s at 2:30 a.m., a man walked behind him and began whispering in his ear. The assailant then followed him for a block before exposing his genitals and repeatedly asking Carlos to perform oral sex on him.
Related: Oldest gay bar in Queens seeks man who attacked its rainbow flag
Carlos says he responded, “No,” several times. That’s when the man reportedly attacked Carlos, repeatedly hitting him in the head and stealing his phone and his backpack. As the man tried to operate Carlos’ phone, Carlos fled and tried to flag down a nearby car.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Carlos told Gay City News: “When I got to the car, he kicked me and I fell. When I fell, he kept hitting me on my back and kicking me on the back. The guy in the car rolled his window and said something to him, but the man said I was trying to rob him — like he was the victim.”
His attacker then dragged him on the ground while demanding money. Carlos screamed out to a passer-by to call 911. Carlos then ran to a nearby police van to report the attack.
The police later found the assailant using the “Find My iPhone” app to track Carlos’ phone. Police arrested 26-year-old Bronx resident Jelani Stewart on charges of robbery and public lewdness. Police recovered the phone but not Carlos’ backpack.
“I’m injured right now,” Carlos told Gay City News, “but I have to come to work. Other than that, I would have been in the hospital. I have back pain, stomach pain… my nose, my eyes, my ears, my head. I took some pain medication.”
