SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A suspect in an alleged hate-motivated assault on a gathering of friends attending a nighttime beach outing near Belmont Park was behind bars Friday.
Jose Carlos Irra, 20, allegedly was among a group of young men who belligerently confronted the partying group at a fire pit off the 3000 block of Mission Boulevard in Mission Beach about 11:30 p.m. Monday, according to San Diego police.
One of the intruders shouted "anti-LGBTQ" slurs at one the victims, a 26-year-old woman, and Irra allegedly put a pistol to the head of a 30-year- old man, San Diego Crime Stoppers reported.
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Someone in the group of antagonists also hurled a filled 24-ounce beer can, hitting the female victim in the face and leaving her with a black eye. The assailants then walked off.
Investigators identified Irra as a suspect in the case with help from tips from the public, according to police.
Irra was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and brandishing a firearm in a threatening manner, along with a hate-crime allegation. He was being held on $30,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
