Two Copiague teens have been arrested in a pair of robberies that Suffolk police say were prompted because the victims were gay men.Police said the pair, Victor Lopez, 18, and David Andrade, 19, both of 3043 Great Neck Rd., lured men at the Exit 49 rest area of the Long Island Expressway with the promise of engaging in sexual activity. Once victims followed the men to a secluded area, they were accosted, bound with duct tape, and threatened with what appeared to be a firearm, police said.
The attackers would then remove the victims' cash and ATM cards and demand their PIN numbers, police said. That's when one of the attackers would go to a local ATM and withdraw money as the other assailant stayed with the victims. After returning, Lopez and Andrade allegedly would tell the victims they were robbed because they hate homosexuals, police said.
The robberies happened last Monday and yesterday, with yesterday's victim calling 911 and giving a description of the attackers and their vehicle. After the emergency call was placed, police saw a vehicle matching the description traveling southbound on Route 110 in Farmingdale. Lopez and Andrade were arrested after the victim identified them as his attackers, police said.
Hate crime detectives said additional investigation linked the pair to last Monday's attack, too.
Lopez and Andrade face robbery as a hate crime and unlawful imprisonment charges. They are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow at First District Court in Central Islip.
from Newsday
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