Two charged with beating man in possible hate crime

Before being severely beaten by a group of young people in what police said was a gang assault outside his home during a July Fourth party, a Valley Stream man had asked the youths to leave his block, a suspect told police, courts papers said.

Two youths accused in the beating - Domineek Washington and Jimmy Blaise, both 18 and both of Valley Stream - were arraigned Tuesday in First District Court in Hempstead on $50,000 cash, or $25,000 bond, bail in connection with felony gang-assault charges.

Both are accused of punching and kicking Joseph Frigenti, a 30-year-old Long Island Rail Road worker, in the face, head and body just after midnight on Sunday outside his Broadway house in Valley Stream, during a July Fourth party at the home.

Police said they are looking into whether the attack is a possible hate crime. The teens are African-American; Frigenti is white.

"The victim came out and yelled, 'Get off the block, get out of here,' " Washington told police, court papers said. Washington claims "the bald guy" swung at him and missed, papers said.

"The guy got what he deserved, anyway," Washington, of Princeton Street, told police, according to court papers.

The assault left Frigenti with fractures of his eye orbits and jaw, contusions, and swelling on the brain, court papers said.

He was taken to South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, "where he still remains for extended medical treatment," the police complaint said.

At the arraignment, Assistant District Attorney Ed Bradley said that multiple witnesses have identified Washington and Blaise, although there were about a dozen youths involved, police said. The investigation is ongoing, they said.

Washington's defense attorney, Brian Griffin of Garden City, his client had posted bail. Griffin said: "There was no racial motivation. The only motivation was self-defense," declining to elaborate.

Griffin said Washington's father is a retired NYPD detective, adding that Washington hadn't been in trouble with the law and will attend college this fall.

Griffin said his client and the victim did not know each other before the altercation. Washington's family declined to comment at the arraignment.

Blaise, of Garfield Avenue, was represented by Justin Feinman of Nassau's Legal Aid Society, whose office policy is not to comment to the media.

Court papers said Washington was identified by witnesses after he came to the victim's home after the assault, and was arrested. It was unclear why he had gone there.