What to Know
- Police are searching for four men who allegedly attacked a gay couple and a good Samaritan on South Beach Sunday.
- The men allegedly called the couple gay slurs in Spanish during the attack.
- Anyone with information on the identities of the suspects are urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
Police are searching for four men who allegedly assaulted a gay couple and a good Samaritan on South Beach Sunday after the Miami Beach Gay Pride parade.
According to police, Rene Chalarca and Dmitry Logunov were standing near restrooms on the 500 block of Lummus Park, when they were randomly attacked by four men.
Police said the men were being called gay slurs in Spanish during the attack. They started to run away and were being chased by the suspects. That’s when a good Samaritan, who was identified as Helmut Muller Estrada, tried to break up the attack.
"What you see on the video continues. And it continues once they are on the ground and they continue to be attacked and violently punched," said Ernesto Rodriguez of Miami Beach police.
Estrada was hit and knocked to the ground and was injured. He was taken to the hospital for observation.
Chalarca and Logunov, who are a couple, were also injured in the attack.
Local
"We probably provoked them because we were walking together, holding hands. It was gay pride, South Beach was full of gay people," said Logunov.
The attack took place Sunday afternoon, the same day as the Miami Beach Gay Pride parade.
"This was the first time that I go to this type of event, and of course it got me overwhelmed like, 'Why, why us? Why is this happening, especially here in Miami?" said Chalarca.
Police are now searching for the four men. Anyone with information about their identities are being asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
