71-Year-Old North Texas Woman Charged With Hate Crime
♦♦Warning: This story contains quotes from a suspect that uses offensive language.♦♦
RICHLAND HILLS (CBSDFW.COM) - A 71-year-old Richland Hills woman is facing a hate crime charge after police say she attacked her 25-year-old neighbor with a cane.
Lloyd Guerrero had red marks on his neck, scratches on his shoulders and bruising on his forearm, where he tried to fend off the swings from the wood cane.
"And I will say she hit pretty hard," Guererro said. "A lot harder than I thought she ever would have."
Police who responded to the Ash Park Apartments Wednesday night said Derby also choked the man, scratched him, and then tried to force her way into his apartment when he got away. During questioning, police say she repeatedly used a homosexual slur to refer to Guererro, who is gay. Police said she also told officers that her neighbor "…has AIDS and is going to kill my son."
Guererro said he has known Derby's son since childhood. The man recently decided to move out of his mother's apartment, and into the apartment next door with Guererro's mother and uncle. Guererro lives in California but has been staying there for three months while he works in the area.
He said Derby's disapproval of him was clear, including threatening posts on Facebook, and the use of that same homosexual slur anytime she saw him.
"That word, she liked to use a lot, whenever I was walking around or if I was present anywhere," he said.
Guererro said Derby attacked as he was helping her son move more boxes Wednesday. He put up his arms to protect his head, but said he didn't want to hit the woman back.
"We finally got the cane and got it away and threw it on the ground away from here," he said. "And then we just started trying to shut the door."
Derby posted $11,500 bond and has been released from jail.
(Copyright 2012 KTVT, CBSDFW.COM, CBS Local. All Rights Reserved.)
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