A gay man has the distinction of pleading guilty to a hate crime in attacking a gay couple outside the Whole Foods Market on University Avenue in Hillcrest.
The Sept. 9 incident may have been sparked by racial issues, as City Attorney Mara Elliott said in a press release the couple were attacked because of their race as well as sexual orientation.
Teeno Hermoso Amparano, 30, of Hillcrest, is black and the victims are white. Amparano pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and a misdemeanor hate crime, and was given credit for several days in jail.
Amparano was ordered by San Diego Superior Court Judge Kathleen Lewis to enroll in anger management classes on terms of three year’s probation, according to court records. He was fined $655.
One victim was struck in the face with a rock and a shopping cart was pushed into him. Elliott’s press release said Amparano punched and kicked the victims. They did not go to a hospital for treatment.
The victims posted statements on Facebook about the attack which were rebutted by Amparano, but most of those statements have since been deleted. Amparano disputed some of the details. Some of his friends posted that the incident was out of character for him.
Because the charges were all misdemeanors, the maximum sentence Amparano could have received was 1 1/2 years in jail and a $2,000 fine, according to court records.
The judge barred Amparano from contacting the couple and going to Whole Foods again for the next three years. He was ordered to next appear in court on Dec. 12 to give proof of attending the anger management classes.
