A elderly Florida man faces charges of a hate crime, arson and attempted second-degree murder after allegedly trying to burn down the home of his neighbors, who are a lesbian couple.
As NBC Miami is reporting, Braulio Valenzuela-Villanueva set fire to a mattress that was leaning against a trailer owned by Norma Beteta Fonseca and her partner, Latanya Dinsy, after an ongoing feud in the wee hours of March 31.
Authorities told the Associated Press that 73-year-old Valenzuela-Villanueva, who is also a registered sex offender, did not admit to the blaze but nonetheless said he despised the couple and believed they did not deserve their eight children because of their sexuality.
“Although he did not admit setting the fire, he stated that he despised the two adult victims for the simple fact that they were lesbians,” the arrest affidavit read, according to CBS Miami. “According to the defendant, every time he saw them kissing he felt a deep repugnance and in his opinion, they did not deserve children.”
Still, Fonseca said she wasn't aware of Valenzuela-Villanueva's contempt for her and her partner.
“The reason they say is because I’m a lesbian. But this is not an excuse for me. I never had a problem with him,” Fonseca told The Miami Herald. “I don’t understand. This is crazy. I don’t understand why.”
Before You Go
