North Dakota man victim of apparent antigay assault

The beating of a gay man in Fargo, N.D., is being classified as a hate crime, police said. Derek Puttbrese, 20, of Detroit Lakes, Minn., has been charged with felony aggravated assault and felonious restraint. He's accused of beating a 44-year-old man in an apartment on November 18. It is the first hate crime related to sexual orientation that Fargo police have reported to the FBI since reporting began a couple of years ago, said Lt. Tod Dahle. Dahle said the victim told Puttbrese he was gay, and both the victim and the suspect said that led to the assault. The man is still recovering from head injuries. The victim told authorities that Puttbrese had stayed at his apartment as a guest and attacked him after the two drank some wine, police said.