Florida police have arrested two men in connection to a vicious assault on a group of LGBTQ+ women in November. Queer News Tonight was the first to report that both suspects were known but had not been arrested. Jorge Giovani Estevez, 33, and Daiken Fernandez, 25, were detained and charged with battery with prejudice. Fernandez was charged with a felony, whereas Estevez was not. The attack took place in Wynwood when several lesbians and one transgender woman were with friends, following a Pandora women’s event held on November 26. Video obtained by police showed two men verbally accosting these women before they began throwing punches. The women can be heard calling out for help as the men attacked. One of the victims identified Fernandez as the man responsible for punching her friend several times in the head before knocking her unconscious, as well as punching and knocking to the ground another friend, who sustained a concussion and required stitches. The group pleaded with the men to stop, while warning that they had contacted law enforcement. At one point, the video shows another man intervening to stand up for the women and getting targeted by the attackers. One victim of the attack described being struck in the jaw, which left her with a hairline fracture that may require surgery. The woman who was knocked unconscious stated that she was unable to recall the events clearly due to her injuries. Many of them said that they were “targeted” for their sexuality.
