More arrests reported
in gay-bashing incident
St. Maarten/St. Martin--An Antigua national residing in French St. Martin who is said to be a suspect in the recent brutal gay-bashing incident in which two American tourists were attacked has reportedly turned himself in to French authorities.
The suspect reportedly turned himself in because of fear of being caught and forcibly detained.
And, according to other unconfirmed but reliable reports from the French side (St. Martin) the Gendarmes made other arrests over the weekend in connection with the April 6 violent incident, first indications that the Dutch side’s decision about aone week ago to ask for assistance from French Gendarmes may well have paid off.
St. Maarten Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein declined to comment on the reports that more arrests had been made, but said a briefing would probably take place today, Monday, to give a progress report on the investigation into the beating of Richard Jefferson and Ryan Smith.
Jefferson, a senior CBS producer, and Smith, a research specialist for “48 Hours” produced by CBS, were both beaten with a wheel wrench near Sunset Beach Bar and Jefferson says he is convinced that while his beating might only have come because he intervened, the beating of his friend Smith was purely “gay bashing.”
Both men suffered severe head injuries and were transported to St. Maarten Medical Center, and later to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami by air ambulance.
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