Four 19-year-old men have been charged with committing hate crimes against LGBT+ people in Hillcrest by driving around shooting gel-style pellets, hitting five pedestrians, in Sept. 2024.
No one was seriously injured so the battery charges would typically only be misdemeanors. However, the alleged motivation behind the attack resulted in hate crime charges— a felony. With that, the battery charges were also upgraded to a felony.
These attacks do not involve the May 2024 incident in which Eddie Reynoso, the publisher of LGBTQ San Diego County News, was injured when a gel caplet from a pellet gun struck him in the eye. Surveillance photos showed Reynoso falling down on the University Avenue sidewalk and he reportedly had to have eye surgery. Reynoso said he has PTSD from the May 17, 2024 incident.
The four people in the Sept. 7 incident have all pleaded not guilty and are all free on bond. They were all ordered by a San Diego Superior Court judge to stay away from the 300 and 400 block of University Avenue.
The pellet shootings occurred outside Urban Mo’s and Burger Lounge. Witnesses reported hearing passengers inside the car laughing.
On Dec. 11, Judge Polly Shamoon set a preliminary hearing date for Feb. 5. The prosecutor estimated it would last one-and-a-half days.
Police officers, witnesses, and possibly victims of the shootings are likely witnesses to testify in the upcoming hearing. Images from surveillance camera footage are expected to be shown.
The attorney for the first person arrested, Hernan Garduno Hernandez, said in open court his client “did not know” that Hillcrest was an area frequented by LGBTQ people.
“That’s absolutely laughable. Everyone knows Hillcrest,” said Benjamin Nichols, the executive director of the Hillcrest Business Association in an interview with KNSD-TV (Channel 39). “We have a giant parade every year.”
The other co-defendants include Arturo Susaita Herrara, Angelo Nathaniel Aron, and Anthony Quinones Lopez. These three were arrested on Nov. 14 and were able to post bond after a day or two in jail.
San Diego Police said detectives were able to obtain footage from a license plate reader system which identified a suspect vehicle, according to a police press release.
“The San Diego Police Department is committed to ensuring a safe space of all members of our community and acts of hate such as these will not be tolerated,” wrote Captain Juan Sanchez.
The May attacks on Reynoso and others are still under investigation. Police reported there was an apparent “practice run” that occurred In the Little Italy section before they came to Hillcrest in which someone shot gel pellets at people leaving restaurants.
