US: Man charged in Denver hookah bar hate crime assault
A man has been charged with a hate crime following an assault in a hookah bar in the US city of Denver, Colorado.
Tilo Sandoval, 20, was formally charged on Thursday with second-degree assault, third-degree assault, and bias-motivated crime.
He is accused of assaulting a gay man, Jared Olson, and one other person, outside Sam’s Hookah Bar on Labor Day, reports 9News.com
Olson said that Sandoval followed him and his friends to the car, and assaulted him.
The victim said he was targeted because he is openly gay. Sandoval has been released from custody on a $30,000 (£19,000) bond.
Sandoval, who appeared in Denver County Court on Tuesday to be advised of the charges, is scheduled to appear in Denver County Court on 17 October for a preliminary hearing.
