Arrest Made in Antigay Attack on Austin Couple

Suspect Frank Macias

The couple said they heard someone shout an antigay slur, and then four or five men attacked them.

Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.

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Trudy Ring

February 12 2019 9:11 AM EST

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A suspect has been arrested in a January 19 attack on a gay couple in Austin, and more arrests are expected, police say.

Frank Macias, 21, of nearby Georgetown, Texas, was booked into the Travis County Jail overnight, the Austin American-Statesman reports. He is charged with two counts of aggravated assault with bodily injury in the attack on Spencer Deehring and Tristan Perry as they were leaving Rain, a gay club in downtown Austin. He faces additional charges in connection with a crime in another county.

Deehring and Perry said that as they were walking out of the bar, they heard someone shout an antigay slur, and then four or five men began beating them.

"Perry was punched in the face multiple times and was kicked in the head while he was unconscious on the ground," the American-Statesman reports. "Deehring tried to tackle the group, but was hit in the head and also fell to the ground."

Perry suffered a major concussion, internal bleeding, chipped teeth, and a broken nose. Deehring had a minor concussion and lacerations. The attackers fled the scene after a witness called police.

Austin police said surveillance video and a tip helped them identify Macias and that they expect to make three additional arrests.