Austin police have arrested Frank Macias, 22, in connection with the brutal attack on a gay couple in downtown Austin in January. Macias is charged with two counts of aggravated assault and is being held in the Travis County Jail on $300,000 bond.
Spencer Deehring and Tristan Perry were hospitalized after they were attacked on Jan. 19 after leaving Rain, a gay club on Third Street at Congress Avenue down the street from the Capitol. They said the attack began when a man made a homophobic comment after seeing them walking out of the bar holding hands. When they responded, four or five other people appeared and assaulted the couple.
The assailants attacked Perry first, leaving him with a concussion, internal bleeding, a broken nose and a bruised eye socket. When Deerhing came to his boyfriend’s defense, he sustained a concussion and neck injuries.
A witness that hasn’t been named stopped to help. When the assailants saw him calling police, they fled.
Surveillance cameras recorded the attack. Someone responding to a Crime Stoppers alert identified two men — Macias and another person that hasn’t been arrested yet.
Perry and the witness positively identified Macias as one of the attackers.
Police are investigating the assaults as hate crimes.
— David Taffet
