Jose Sucuzhañay, Brooklyn businessman, husband, and father of two, has been taken off life support. Doctors declared him brain dead yesterday, the victim of an anti-Latino, anti-gay attack half a block from Sucuzhañay’s home.
Jose and his 38-year-old brother, Romel, who was visiting from Ecuador, had been drinking at a church party and then a Mexican restaurant and were holding onto each other as they stumbled home along Bushwick Ave. at 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
According to a witness who was parking his car nearby, a maroon SUV pulled up alongside the brothers and a man inside yelled, “Check out those faggots over there.” [note: Neither brother is gay.]
The surviving brother told police he didn’t hear that remark but that he heard one of them yell, “Fuck you, Spanish people.”
Witnesses said the three men got out of the SUV and set upon the siblings. One hit Jose Sucuzhañay in the head with a glass bottle, dropping him to the sidewalk.
The SUV driver battered the defenseless man’s head with an aluminum baseball bat, witnesses said, while the others kicked and punched both brothers.
Joe.My.God reports that there will be a candlelight vigil Sunday night at 8:00 at the scene of the murder. Police have released a sketch of one of the attackers and are offering a reward. Details here.
Update: Jose Sucuzhañay passed away on December 13, 2008 while his mother was still en route from Ecuador. A memorial service was held on December 18th in New York, followed by burial in Ecuador December 20th.
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has vowed to fight xenophobia and homophobia, saying in part, “We will fight together … to forever uproot these aberrations of certain maladjusted [individuals], uproot them from the face of the earth, from humanity: Xenophobia, homophobia and all kinds of discrimination, all kinds of violence.”
You might be interested in:
(Please read the comment tips before joining the conversation.)
