Three men sentenced to prison for San Diego antigay assaults

Three people who assaulted six men outside a gay pride festival in San Diego were sentenced to prison Monday, just days after pleading guilty to the July attacks. James Allen Carroll and Kenneth James Lincoln, both 24, and 18-year-old Lyonn Taz Tatum were accused along with a 15-year-old boy of yelling antigay slurs as they struck the men with a baseball bat and a knife. One victim was hospitalized with a broken skull.

Carroll, who wielded the bat, was sentenced by superior court judge Frederick Maguire to 11 years in prison for attempted murder and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. Tatum, who admitted striking with the knife, will serve eight years for assault with a deadly weapon and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury.

Lincoln was sentenced to 32 months for helping shave Tatum's head after the attacks in an effort to conceal his identity.

Prosecutor Oscar Garcia said he was pleased with the plea deals. "I would hope that not just people in the gay community but people of all colors feel safer," Garcia said.

The teenager admitted to taking part in the attacks in a juvenile court hearing last week. He faces up to 13 years on three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and hate-crime charges.

The attacks took place as the victims were leaving the nighttime events capping San Diego's 32nd annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Festival in Balboa Park, just north of downtown. The most seriously injured victim, Oscar Foster, was hit in the head and upper body 10 to 12 times with the aluminum bat. He recently left the hospital after undergoing facial reconstructive surgery, Garcia said. (AP)

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