Teens charged with hate crime

Three teens have been charged for a hate crime after they allegedly opened fire with paintball guns on the historic home of an Irving College man, reportedly targeting him because he is homosexual.

The male teens, two age 15 and one 16, are each charged with delinquency to the act of vandalism and will appear before Juvenile Court Judge Larry Ross this afternoon. While their names have not been released due to their status as juveniles, the name of the adult woman investigators say bought beer for them the night in question has been released.

The defendant, Genay L. Keener, 34, is charged with contributing to the delinquency of minors for allegedly buying $25 worth of beer for the boys and keeping $5 for her trouble.

The boys are charged with shooting the home of Neal Anthony with paintballs, riddling the house built in 1851 with 81 paintball shots. The attack was the first of two targeting the Anthony home.

The second happened nights later when vandals painted anti-gay slogans on his home along with insults directed at his 82-year-old mother who is now in a nursing home. Lawmen are still investigating the second attack but have made no arrests in the spray-painting incident, although there are suspects in the second attack.

In the case of the paintball attack, investigators say the boys have confessed and admitted the vandalism was directed at Anthony because he is gay.

The boys were among several who were camping out in the Irving College area who had discussed doing damage to the Anthony home. Spurred on by the alcohol, the teens reportedly retrieved the paintball guns along with a slingshot, went to the Anthony home and opened fire.

They hit the siding with paintballs as well as breaking windows with paintballs and stones from the slingshot.

Anthony, who admitted the recent attacks have terrorized him, said he has been the point of insults and harassment over the years due to his homosexual lifestyle. When asked what he felt should happen to those found guilty of the attacks, Anthony said the youths and their parents should be sent to his house to help clean up the mess.

Both Anthony and lawmen suspect the spray-painted messages are also the work of youths. However, should adults be found to have been involved, they could be hit with federal hate crime charges which carry significant jail time.