Arrest made in
Brooklyn gay murder case

A Brooklyn man wanted in a brutal bias attack that left a gay victim in a coma was captured Thursday on the New Jersey shore, police said. Steven Pomie, 22, a suspected street gang member, was arrested in Seaside Heights on attempted murder, assault as a hate crime, and other charges. He was being held in New Jersey pending arraignment in Brooklyn, authorities said. Pomie was the "main aggressor" in the incident in which he and possibly two other men assaulted Dwan Prince while yelling antigay slurs, said Capt. Michael J. Osgood of the New York Police Department's Hate Crimes Task Force. Prince, 26, remained in a coma on Thursday after suffering severe head injuries, police said. Authorities allege that Pomie--with the victim already beaten, bloodied, and down on the ground--delivered the final blow by kicking him in the head. "This kind of crime cannot be tolerated," Brooklyn district attorney Charles Hynes said in a statement announcing the arrest. "The NYPD and my office moved quickly to assure that this suspect was brought to justice." Other suspects were still being sought. The attack occurred on June 9 near Prince's home in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Investigators believe that Pomie, who is from the same neighborhood, knew about Prince's sexual orientation before the attack, Osgood said. The victim was "openly gay and very well-liked," Osgood said. "He was viewed as a sweet, gentle man." Witnesses have told police that Pomie was walking down the street in a pink tank top that belonged to his girlfriend when he noticed Prince staring at him, Osgood said. The captain said Pomie asked Prince, "What are you looking at? You want a piece of me?" Investigators believe Prince responded by saying something that enraged Pomie, who with several other men then began beating the victim. Pomie allegedly fled to New Jersey earlier this week after police released his name and photo. Police said Pomie, who has an extensive arrest record, is a suspected member of the Crips gang. (AP)