Hate Crime Victim In Need

April 23rd 2:30am Brandon was walking with a friend on their way home and was attacked by 3 or 4 people with a glass bottle in a vicious hate crime. It tore up his ear, cut the tendons in his hand and battered his jaw. Taken by ambulance to the hospital, he needed emergency surgery to the severed tendons on his hand as well as stitches on his head. Now he is unable to eat due to trauma to his teeth and jaw. At the hospital he found out his insurance was cancelled for reasons no one seems to know why and now because he is limited in mobility, he is fearing (as we all live paycheck to paycheck) that he may be unable to pay his hospital bills, rent and buy food for himself until he heals. The police are trying their best to locate the perpetrators of this horrific hateful act of violence. Any support you can give to Brandon in this time of need will be greatly appreciated.  - Michael

ABC7NY interview excerpt:

HELL'S KITCHEN, Manhattan (WABC) -- A man was attacked in Manhattan by a group of men while walking with a friend Saturday. Now, police are investigating this as a possible bias attack.

Eyewitness News spoke to the victim of the attack exclusively.

Brandon Ballone doesn't remember much about the attack that left his ear torn, wrist slashed, and jaw locked.

The 25-year-old Queens man says he was walking with a friend in Hell's Kitchen around 2 a.m. when without warning, he was attacked by a group of men.

"As we passed them, they must've come up behind me with a glass bottle they had in their hand," Ballone said. "When I covered my face from the blows it tore a tendon in my hand."

Ballone suspects he was attacked because he and his friend are gay, but he says his attackers never uttered a word.

"My friend is short and very flamboyant, wearing nail polish and stuff and I do drag. I was wearing one of my own T-shirts that I sell," Ballone said. "Maybe they looked at my T-shirt and thought, 'these are bunch of fruitcakes.'"

Ballone performs as a drag queen and his many followers have sent him messages online wishing him a speedy recovery.

Despite needing four weeks to recover, he plans to be back on stage soon.

"I don't want this to bring me down. I still have a lot of goals here that I need to continue," Ballone said. "I can't stay home and look at the same four walls over and over. Emotionally, that's not going to help me."


Click here to watch a video from Brandon https://www.facebook.com/missjizzabella/videos/884322451676842/