Gay Woman Says Police Didn’t Classify Her Beating Outside Gay Club As Hate Crime

As the feds investigate Saturday’s attack of a 22-year-old man outside the Old Plantation nightclub that left him in critical condition, a second person — a woman — told ABC-7 she too was attacked there a couple of weeks ago.

Maria Granados, 49, said she has no doubt her assault was a hate crime and she doesn’t like the way police have handled it.

Granados said police never responded to investigate her beating and have not reported her case to the F.B.I.

“They called me manflora, marimacha, lesbiana and they beat me up,” Granados said.

She said those were the gay slurs she heard as she was attacked by a group of young, Spanish speaking men after walking out of the OP two weeks ago.

“It was about six or eight of them, maybe more. I could just remember being in a fetal position,” said Granados.

Granados said slurs were yelled at her during her attack.

“I reported it as a hate crime, but they didn’t put it as a hate crime, “said Granados.

When she got the police report she said the hate crime box was left unchecked.

“I saw it and I was like…what?” she said. “We are human beings regardless of labels, you know, we’re not animals.”

Hospital records show Granados was treated for her injuries.

“My eye was big, my lip, my whole body was bruised.”

She said she waited for police to arrive at the OP after her attack with the downtown police regional command center around the corner — but they never showed.

“I had to go to the northeast to get police help and ambulance, they didn’t help me here, they didn’t come to the OP,” said Granados.

Police said they never received a call from the OP that night and are investigating the incident.

“The El Paso Police Department provides police service to all members of the community equally and impartially,” El Paso Police spokesman Det. Mike Baranyay said in a statement. “Our Internal Affairs Division has not received any recent complaints related to an officer’s refusal to properly document any hate crime.”

“They’re supposed to protect and serve. I wasn’t protected, I wasn’t served,” said Granados.

She said she just wants the hate to stop.

“Why are they even here if they hate gays, there’s straight bars all across the city…go,” she said.

And for the young man assaulted to recover.

“I pray to God he don’t die. It takes something like that for people to listen to us,” said Granados.

Related Links:Link:Teen Detained In Beating Outside Gay Club; Police Say Assault Was Gang RelatedLink:El Paso Police Statement Regarding Hate Crime Allegations