Queer woman allegedly put in chokehold and told ‘I’ll kill you f****t’ by a man 25 years her senior, all because he didn’t like her driving
Alana Reali (right), a queer woman from Portland, Maine, was taken to hospital after she was attacked by Michael Roylos (left). (Sidewalk Buttler and Alana Reali/ Facebook)
A Portland businessman allegedly choked, hit and threatened to kill a queer woman while screaming homophobic slurs at her in a supermarket parking lot.
Alana Reali, 38, said she was physically assaulted by local businessman Michael Roylos, 63, in a Shaw’s supermarket parking lot in Portland, Maine.
According to Bangor Daily News, Reali said that Roylos approached her claiming that she had been driving recklessly while parking her car at around 6pm on July 3.
He then reportedly began following her towards to supermarket, and told her “that was the last time [she would] get away with that”.
When the Roylos would not leave her alone, she returned to her car to get her phone so she could record him.
At that point he allegedly began attacking her. She said he hit her, put her in a chokehold, injured her ankle and shouted “multiple death threats” including “I’ll kill you, faggot”.
If no one was around this man would’ve killed me.
There were multiple witnesses to the attack who called the police, and Reali was taken to Maine Medical for her injuries.
While travelling in an ambulance, Reali wrote on Facebook: “I just had a homophobic man attack me in the Shaw’s north gate parking lot… He attacked me after calling me a ‘f**king faggot’, put me in a chokehold and started punching me in the back of the head.
“Thankfully there were people there, as I was screaming bloody murder. If no one was around this man would’ve killed me.”
“I’m currently in the back of in the ambulance with a busted ankle and severely shook.”
She was released from hospital later that night.
Roylos is a former local restaurant owner and the founder of the Sidewalk Buttler, a tobacco receptacle scheme which the city of Portland contracted him to install.
Portland police spokesperson Robert Martin said that Roylos was facing charges of aggravated assault, assault, criminal threatening and interference with constitutional and civil rights.
