HOUSTON – A 21-year-old man is accused of attacking African-Americans, solely based on their skin color, according to a Harris County probable cause document.
Investigators said Albert Gallegos approached a 92-year-old African American man from behind on Jan. 7 at a METRO stop on Broadway at Brockton streets in southeast Houston. Gallegos is accused of attacking the man, rendering him unconscious, according to court documents.
A witness, who wanted to keep her identity concealed, said she saw the suspect throw large rocks at the man.
After attempting to conduct surveillance on the area to locate the suspect, the officer spoke with a Houston police officer who said he is "certain" the suspect is Gallegos, according to the document.
The reporting officer said he "read multiple case(s) involving the suspect and the suspect is obviously a violent person and has hatred towards African Americans because (his) mother is dating a black male. After reading these reports about the suspect's history I can clearly see the suspect is picking his victims on the basis of their skin color, the victim in (the officer's) case is a 92-year-old black male who has never dealt with or had any type of interaction with the suspect."
The investigating officer said in the document that he believes "the suspect's vicious attack against the complainant is a hate crime."
Investigators were able to interview witnesses at businesses near where the assault took place and the employees were able to identify Gallegos from a photo lineup.