Three more individuals have been arrested and charged with hate crimes in connection to an assault on a man based on his sexual orientation in Maryland. Sean Antone, Benjamin Brandenburg, and Logan Clark were taken into custody following the initial arrests of 12 Salisbury University students for the attack on October 15. The trio faces charges such as first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, false imprisonment, and hate crime offenses. All three are Salisbury students and have been placed on interim suspension by the university.
The assault took place at an off-campus apartment complex, where the victim was lured under false pretenses through a social media invitation by a group of men associated with the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. The victim was physically assaulted, spit on, and verbally abused before being allowed to leave with injuries including bruises and a broken rib. Investigators confirmed that the man was targeted due to his sexual orientation.
Attorneys for Antone and Brandenburg declined to comment on the case, while Clark’s attorney information was not listed. One of the initially arrested students, Riley Brister, is represented by attorney Steve Rakow and plans to plead not guilty. The remaining students apprehended were placed on suspension by the university pending investigation. A community vigil and unity walk were held on campus in response to the incident.
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