Second Man Arrested in Brutal Palm Springs Hate Crime

Police in Palm Springs, Calif., have arrested a man accused of taunting and attacking a male couple days before the city's Pride Festival in early November.

James Carr, 30, was taken into custody on Monday, The Desert Sun reports. Carr has been arrested nine times in a decade, with convictions for battery. He and 35-year-old Keith Terranova, who was arrested November 11, stand accused of elder abuse and felony hate crimes.

Carr is accused of intentionally bumping into Chris Zander, who was walking with his husband, George, and calling him an antigay slur. The men argued and Carr allegedly tackled Chris Zander, leaving him with minor injuries. Later, Carr returned with Terranova, and the younger men allegedly attacked the couple; Chris Zander says he was hit with a tire iron by Terranova, while 71-year-old George Zander, who is a field organizer for the LGBT organization Equality California, says Carr beat him.

Chris Zander suffered a concussion and needed staples in his head, while his husband required surgery for a double fracture to his hip.

Terranova has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, and a hate crime. It's not clear if Carr has yet made a plea.

The November 1 incident is the second recently reported incident in Palm Springs, long an LGBT haven, in which gay men were allegedly targeted, A 30-year-old homeless man has been accused of punching and kicking a 71-year-old man after discovering he was gay.