Hate Crime In Seal Beach: Man Charged With Spitting On Gay Couple

SEAL BEACH, CA — Another Seal Beach man was charged with criminal threats, battery and sentence enhancinghate crime for his actions against a same sex couple earlier this year.

Samuel Blake Wickwire, an 18-year-old resident of Seal Beach, is the second charged with the hate crime, after being arrested on Dec. 10 in seal Beach. Wickwire joins Wade James Rutledge, a 27-year-old Seal Beach resident, who was originally charged with the crime on Dec. 5.

Four men were allegedly involved in the original incident when a same-sex couple was terrorized in a parking at the 10th Street Municipal Beach Parking Lot on the 900 block of Ocean Avenue on Nov. 3. The couple was walking through the Seal Beach lot when they were approached by four men.

"The suspects made several derogatory comments about the victim's same sex relationship and threatened to harm the victims," Seal Beach Police Department Sgt. Mike Henderson told Patch. "A suspect then forcefully stole a cellular phone from one of the victims."

The Orange County District Attorney's Office said that Wickwire spat at the victims. Rutledge allegedly grabbed a cell phone from one of the victims as he was calling 911.

"He disconnected a 911 call that was in progress," the OCDA Senior Deputy District Attorney Paul Chrisopoulos said. "He then went back to his friends and told the victim not to call the police."

The victims were hounded by the mob of men as they attempted to get into their vehcile and leave the scene, according to Chrisopoulos.

Rutledge shoved one of the victims into the passenger seat and reportedly slammed the car door on his arm, while yelling at them to leave.

Rutledge faces seven years in state prison, while Wickwire faces six, if the maximum sentence for the crimes are imposed.

Read also: Seal Beach Hate Crime Robbery: Cops Seek 4 Responsible

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