QUEENS: Interracial Married Straight Couple Gay Bashed By Three Thugs

On Saturday a married straight interracial couple was attacked in Long Island City, Queens by three thugs who shouted homophobic slurs and racial epithets.

Billie and Jacob James-Vogel say they and a gay friend had been celebrating Billie James-Vogel’s 40th birthday in Long Island City and were attacked when they left the bar. They say three men from a nearby car began hurling homophobic and racist slurs at their group before physically assaulting them. Jacob James-Vogel suffered a black eye and a head injury; his wife had a broken toe and other bruises. Billie James-Vogel said she fears her attackers might return. “In this day and age, in this neighborhood, it just kills me,” she said of the racial slurs.

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UPDATE: NY1 reports than an arrest has been made.

The James-Vogels said that after the cops left, one of their attackers came back pretending to be a police officer while they were waiting in an ambulance. “The EMT drivers didn’t let him into the ambulance,” Jacob James-Vogel said. “They then followed him and called the police. Police say 28-year-old Nikolaos Katsos was arrested and charged with assault and harassment. Police are continuing to investigate this incident as a hate crime and are looking for others involved. The charges against Katsos could be upgraded.