BY PAUL SCHINDLER | An artist’s sketch and a description of the suspect in the January 17 brutal assault on Randy Gener, an out gay journalist, has been released by the NYPD. The description includes the make of the suspect's car and its license plate number.
The suspect, according to the description circulated on January 27, is a Hispanic male in his 20s, approximately six feet tall and weighing 160 pounds, with short black hair. He was wearing black jeans and a black jacket at the time of the assault.
The NYPD reports that the suspect fled the scene in a gray, four-door Nissan that had Mississippi license plate number KAT397.
Gener, originally from the Philippines, was attacked in the early morning hours of January 17 at 54th Street and Seventh Avenue, about a block from his apartment, as he was retuning home from a party.
According to Jessica Blair-Driessler, his sister, a 911 caller reported finding his badly bloodied body on the street. Gener suffered serious head trauma and has undergone surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. He remains in intensive care at St. Luke’s Hospital, in serious but stable condition, and is able to say a few words. Blair-Driessler, who explained that the timing of his release from the ICU and the hospital remains uncertain, said, “He will need a lot of care when he is out.”
When Gener was found, he still had his wallet, cellphone, and other property, leading to speculation his assault might have been bias-motivated. The crime is being investigated as a possible hate crime, and according to Blair-Driessler, a member of the LGBT liaison team of the New York City Police Department Community Affairs Bureau met with her at a public vigil held on January 26.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment about how the details of the suspect’s appearance and license plate number became known 10 days after the attack.
Information about the crime can be reported anonymously to the police department at 1-800-577-TIPS.
The family has set up a charity link to raise funds for Randy Gener’s care at youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/for-randy-gener/130589.
