What to Know
- The man police say is responsible for a spate of at least four brick-throwing vandalism attacks against a gay bar in Manhattan has been identified and arrested -- although as of now, he does not face hate crime charges.
- Thirty-four-year-old Sean Kuilan, of Manhattan, was arrested Tuesday in connection to the brick-throwing incidents, police said.
- Kuilan is facing criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief charges. However, at this time, the NYPD said he is not facing hate crime charges.
The man police say is responsible for a spate of at least four brick-throwing vandalism attacks against a gay bar in Manhattan has been identified and arrested -- although as of now, he does not face hate crime charges.
Thirty-four-year-old Sean Kuilan, of Manhattan, was arrested Tuesday in connection to the brick-throwing incidents, police said. Kuilan is facing criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief charges. However, at this time, the NYPD said he is not facing hate crime charges in connection to the brick-throwing incidents.
Attorney information for Kuilan was not immediately known.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
Video released Monday evening shows the man who allegedly threw a brick at the Hell's Kitchen bar Vers, on West 49th Street and Ninth Avenue. The video shows the suspect walking inside a bodega after the most recent alleged attack on Saturday night, which occurred at the peak of the evening's nightlife activity when the bar was filled with patrons.
Video from the bar's security camera captured the still-unidentified man walk up to the bar and hurl a brick at its window. The bar's owner says it's become an "unnerving" pattern.
"Last night and several other nights in the past week, a man has come by with a brick and smashed our window during service when people are here," David DeParolesa told News 4. "It's a pattern. It's the same window, it's a brick, it's a person that we finally caught on video last night."
News
The reinforced window took most of the force from the hurtled projectile, but the weekend incident was the fourth time someone has thrown something at the bar in recent weeks, DeParolesa said. The attack also fell on the same night a gunman opened fire at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five people and injuring at least 18 others.
"There's a lot of heightened fear in the community from attacks happening all over the country, and we just want to make sure we're providing a safe space and that's what we're doing," DeParolesa said. "It’s meant to instill fear and instead of being fearful, I’m being emboldened and angry and ready to fight back."
The NYPD is also looking into possible motives for the attacks, and the case has been turned over to the Hate Crimes Task Force work to determine if hate is fueling the incidents, police said.
