Men charged with attack on gay man were found by cell phone

[icymist]

Saturday, July 17, 2004

Men charged with attack on gay man were found by cell phone

By TRACY JOHNSON
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

A young man who bragged about how he'd just beaten up a man, then lent a cell phone to a stranger, can thank "caller ID" for helping police tie him and his friends to the attack, according to court documents.

Vadim Samusenko, 20, and David Kravchenko, 19, were charged yesterday with first-degree assault and malicious harassment -- a hate crime -- for the June 27 attack on Micah Painter, who was beaten and slashed, allegedly because he's gay.

<snip>

The man's friends got him to calm down, according to court documents, and the tipster asked if he could borrow a cell phone to make a call. One of the young men apparently handed one over.

The tipster called his girlfriend, then later got the number of the cell phone he'd borrowed from her, according to court documents. The number had been recorded on her caller ID.

Police said they got a search warrant and tracked the number to Kravchenko

<snip>

Police said Samusenko broke the end off an empty vodka bottle and began slashing at him while Kravchenko kicked him. A witness reported hearing one of the attackers repeat the derogatory term while telling Painter to die.

More at this

[Lithos]

1. Great thinking on the part of the tipster

I am glad to see they are getting charged with this crime.

L-

[bahrbearian]

2. I wonder how their cell mates will treat them?

Just throw in a bottle of Vodka.

[TeacherCreature]

3. a win for the good guys

This is a great story. I will keep it in mind if I every hear someone talking about a crime.

[xchrom]

4. bravo!

i hope these screw balls get whatever the max is for what they did.

[meegbear]

5. Excellent.

I hope WA has a solid hate crimes law in place to give these guys the time they deserve.

[asthmaticeog]

6. Clever.

Kudos to the tipster for thinking on his feet!