'Gay Bashing' In Newport Beach? Answers Sought: Lawsuit

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Three Orange County men have filed a lawsuit against the owner of the Balboa Inn claiming a hate crime took place when they were booted from the establishment earlier this month, Patch has learned.

On Friday the 13th at a bar on Main Street in Newport Beach, the three men went inside a restaurant for dinner. A video has emerged showing two of the men being forcibly removed from the restaurant.

Two of the men have also filed a police report, reporting battery, according to Newport Beach Police Department information officer Jennifer Manzella, who discussed the incident with Patch.

"The victims say they were battered both inside and in front of the establishment, resulting in both needing medical attention," she said.

The two men did receive medical attention after the event, but the Newport Beach police were not notified at the time of the incident, according to Manzella. They filed a police report the following Monday, she said.

Angel Bonilla, Colton Moyer and Clement Serafin said in their lawsuit that a bartender refused to serve them and ordered them to leave shortly after they arrived at the bar for dinner and drinks.

The female bartender "demanded that they show their respective identification cards ... to create a ruse for refusing to serve them when her real motive was not to serve gay men," the lawsuit says.

(See full video below).

She claimed, loudly, that Serafin's ID was fake and ordered him out of the bar, according to the lawsuit, which says Serafin is in his mid-30s.

"This was done with the specific intent to cause humiliation and mental suffering," the suit says.

A man stepped in and reportedly used a gay slur, and then dragged Bonilla and Serafin from the establishment, according to the lawsuit. Video appears to back that up.

In the below video, which is graphic in language and content, a man orders Bonilla to "get out!" and utters homophobic slurs as the man was thrown to the pavement.

Bonilla can be heard crying and complaining about his head.

It is unclear as of this report if the man in question was a patron or if he worked at the bar. Newport Beach police wish to question the unidentified man, as well as any other suspects who were in that establishment at the time of the scuffle.

In a gruff rebuttal to the man's cries, the man who forcibly removed them shouts: "You've been warned!"

Bonilla's cellphone was broken in the confrontation, according to the lawsuit.

According to statements from the victims, they were not drinking prior to the exchange.

"We are seeking witnesses who may have witnessed the incident and what led up to it," Manzella said. "We are looking for corroborating information on what happened at the establishment."

According to Manzella, Newport Beach police did not yet have access to the video as of this report.

Michel Pourmussa, who owns the Balboa Inn and is named as defendant in the case, was not available for comment.

"We have spoken with the staff on duty that evening, and are working with them to try and get statements," Manzella said. "We are hoping that through publicity, others will come forward and share what they saw of the battery. We are hoping that people realize that it wasn't just an ordinary scuffle."

The suspect is described as white male, approximately 40-55 years old, with gray hair. He is approximately 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds. At the time of the incident, he was wearing shorts and a white T-shirt.

NBPD Detectives are asking this person, or anyone who can help identify him, to come forward to assist in the investigation. Police are also seeking any additional witnesses who were in the area or the establishment at the time of the battery. Anyone who can offer assistance is encouraged to contact Detective Rick Henry at (949) 644-3790.

Messages may also be left anonymously on the Police Department’s recorded hotline at (800) 550-NBPD.

Newport Beach Police Department Photo