Neb. Man Charged With Hate Crime Against Lesbian Sister

A Lincoln, Neb., man has been charged with attacking his sister because she is in a lesbian relationship, which he says goes against their family's Muslim beliefs.

Lincoln police said 20-year-old Ahmed Mohammed Tuma tried to attack his sister and her fiancee with a crowbar when they arrived home Thursday evening, local TV station KLKN reports. The women were able to get into their car and leave the scene, but not before Tuma hit the car with the crowbar several times.

Then, police told KLKN, Tuma and a friend, Nathan Marks, got into Marks's pickup truck and followed the women, ramming their car from behind so that at one point the car was nearly pushed into oncoming traffic. The women were eventually able to get away and call police.

"They were in fear for their lives," Officer Katie Flood told the station. "[Tuma] had made some verbal threats to kill the sister." He believed she was bringing shame to their family, police said.

Police arrested Tuma Friday on charges of attempted second-degree assault, criminal mischief, terroristic threats, and use of a weapon to commit a felony, according to KLKN. All except the weapons charge carry a hate-crime enhancement. Marks was also arrested; he faces charges of aiding and abetting terroristic threats and aiding and abetting use of a weapon to commit a felony.

Watch the report at KLKN.