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UPDATE: Alleged UNLV attacker indicted on second hate crime after first incident

UNLV student victim attacked in hate crime
Posted at 7:36 PM, Feb 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-22 18:49:15-04

UPDATE MARCH 22: The man accused of a hate crime at UNLV has been indicted on the initial incident and a second apparent hate crime about a week later.

According to a Clark County Grand Jury indictment filed Thursday, Gino Flinn has been charged with battery by strangulation motivated by bias or hatred toward the victim, battery with use of a deadly weapon motivated by bias or hatred toward the victim and attempted robbery with use of a deadly weapon. 

The first battery is the incident involving a UNLV student on Feb. 23 where court documents state Flinn was strangulating the man. 

Flinn was arrested on Feb. 27 in that incident, but then on March 8, Las Vegas police said he was involved in another battery incident involving a gay man. This incident occurred at a Walgreens, located at 1180 E. Flamingo Road, not far from UNLV. 

Police initially responded to the Walgreens after reports of a fight. According to his arrest report, Flinn said he was being followed by a gay guy who he said grabbed him in the genitals. 

The victim in this case told police that Flinn was following him after he left his house nearby. When Flinn got close, the victim told police that Flinn said, "I don't like gays." 

The victim then arrived at Walgreens when Flinn attacked him and they began fighting. The victim told police he was 20 to 30 times in the head and upper body and that Flinn had a rock in his hand during the attack. 

Police spoke to witnesses who confirmed the attack. Flinn was later arrested in this incident. Police said he is a registered felon for an assault case.

According to the indictment against Flinn, he also attempted to take the victim's backpack while hitting him with a rock, thence the attempted robbery charge. 

UPDATE FEB. 27: UNLV officials report that Gino Flinn has been taken into custody.  He was booked on a felony battery charge with a hate crime enhancement.  13 Action News spoke with UNLV Police Sgt. Paul Velez moments after news of the arrest. 

Sgt. Velez released new details about the violent incident against a student on Friday.

"Started to choke him and then picked him up by his neck and then slammed him into the ground," he said.

Sgt. Velez said the student was not seriously injured.  Police had Flinn's picture in their system because of a prior incident.

"He was trespassed from the library ...and as part of the trespass, we took his picture and put it into our system," said Sgt. Velez.

According to Sgt. Velez, police keep students safe by flooding busy areas of the campus.  Additionally, they immediately notify students of incidents with an emergency alert system.

This incident is one of three in recent months.

In October, police say a suspect sexually assaulted a student.  In another case in January, the young woman fought off her attacker near the tennis complex.

UPDATE FEB. 26: UNLV police identified the man wanted in this incident as Gino Flinn, who is 6'2" and 188 pounds. Police are continuing to seek him in the attack.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Services at 702-895-3668.

ORIGINAL STORY

UNLV reports that a student was a victim of battery in the Student Union building around 11 a.m. Feb. 23.

The incident has been classified as a hate crime due to the suspect's use of homophobic slurs directed at the victim, according to UNLV officials.

Officials also say that the suspect was a homeless man known to both the victim and Police Services. He fled the building after other students intervened and stopped further violence.

UNLV Police Officers have been instructed to immediately arrest the man if he is seen on campus. They've also passed along all pertinent information about the suspect to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Anyone with information about this case should contact UNLV Police at 702-895-3668.