FRAMINGHAM, Mass. - A man in Framingham has been arrested and charged with a hate crime for allegedly holding a man hostage inside an apartment and beating him for four days because he was gay.
Police found 50-year-old Otoni Eliseu, who was allegedly held captive for four days, bloodied and bruised on Saturday. Eliseu told officers he had been held against his will inside a basement apartment without food or water for four days while being beaten.
Jackson Sugrue, 19. of Framingham, is facing a hate crime charge because Eliseu alleges he kept yelling homosexual slurs as Sugrue assaulted him, the prosecution said.
Police found Eliseu on Saturday when officers responded to a call at around 5:40 p.m. for a report of a person being beaten with a bat.
At the scene, officers found Eliseu wearing only a pair of pants, lying on the ground covered in blood, bruises and scratches.
FRAMINGHAM: Sugrue Jackson is accused of assaulting, & holding a man against his will for 4days. Police say, this was a hate crime. “Sugrue knew the victim was gay,&used him for favors”. pic.twitter.com/o1jayKIhLI
— Malini Basu (@WFXTMalini) July 2, 2018
“He said he had escaped from an apartment where he had been kept against his will for the past four days,” said prosecutor Dylan Krasinski.
Eliseu was transported to MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham for treatment of his injuries.
Police learned Eliseu and Sugrue knew each other, after the victim told authorities he and the attacker had been "hanging out" before Sugrue suddenly became violent.
The apartment in question is located underneath the Philadelphia Baptist Church, where Eliseu had been staying after the pastor allowed him to stay there.
"He was in the woods a couple of weeks ago," said Murilo DaSilva, the Pastor for the Philadelphia Baptist Church.
Eliseu says he was held captive inside the basement bathroom, without food or water.
Pastor DaSilva claims Eliseu was recovering from drug use.
The victim told police he and Sugrue used crack together on Wednesday, when Sugrue suddenly became violent.
Krasinski told the court on Monday that Sugrue allegedly impeded the man from leaving the apartment, by taking his phone away and "threatening" him. Eliseu said Sugrue is a dangerous man.
Sugrue allegedly refused to allow Eliseu to drink or eat while held captive.
On Saturday, the prosecution alleges Sugrue pulled Eliseu from his bed onto the floor and began attacking him repeatedly by stepping on his throat and choking him. Eliseu claims it was a hate crime because he is gay.
"He attacked me on my back, on my butt, [saying] 'you’re gay, you like me,'" said Eliseu.
Eliseu also claims Sugrue beat him with a coffee table while yelling out homosexual slurs and referencing his sexuality, allegedly saying "I know you're gay." Eliseu also said Sugrue beat him with a fire extinguisher.
Eliseu told Boston 25 News he begged and cried to get out of the bathroom.
On Saturday, he managed to break free and run for his life.
"Jesus was helping me, thank God I'm alive," said Eliseu.
Police arrested Sugrue at his 282 Belknap Road home later on Saturday. Sugrue is being charged with a hate crime, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery and intimidation of a witness.
Eliseu said he just wanted to help his friend and didn't expect him to turn on him, saying he is left feeling helpless because he doesn't have a home or anyone in the country to help him.
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