- Lee Mo uat was charged with a federal hate
crime after prosecutors said he broke a Black teen's jaw with a bike lock during a confrontation at aMichigan beach. - Witnesses told investigators that Mouat confronted a group of teens at the beach because they were playing music loudly from a portable speaker.
- He told the group that "Black lives don't matter," used the n-word multiple times, and threatened to "bash their heads in," according to a criminal complaint.
- If he's convicted, Mouat faces up to 10 years in prison.
A 42-year-old man has been charged with federal hate crimes in a complaint in which prosecutors say he attacked a group of three Black teenagers at a Michigan beach, and broke one of their jaws with a bike lock.
Prosecutors say Lee Mo uat confronted the group of teenagers at Sterling State Park in Monroe, Michigan, on June 6.
According to a criminal complaint, witnesses told investigators that Mouat told the group "Black lives don't matter," used the n-word multiple times, and threatened to "bash their heads in" if they didn't turn their music down.
One of the teens confronted by Mouat told investigators that the incident started when Mouat approached him and his friends and complained about their music playing on a loud speaker.
Witnesses told investigators that Mouat complained about the the loud speaker, saying the teens were playing "gang music," and called the teens "monsters."
Upon approaching the group, Mouat said, "This is my beach, n-----," the complaint said.
After one of the teens said he would fight Mouat, Mouat said, "I've got something for you in my car," according to the complaint.
He returned with a bike lock in hand, and struck one of the teens in the face, fracturing his face and knocking out several teeth, according to the complaint.
Police arrived shortly thereafter, and Mouat was charged with a federal hate crime on Tuesday.
Federal prosecutors say Mouat "willfully causing bodily injury to an African-American teenager because of the teenager's
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison, the Washington Post reported.
Mouat did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
- Read more:
- An Idaho man who ran for state governor twice was indicted in the death of a 12-year-old girl dating back to 1984
- Police arrested a man they say put broken blades in supermarket pizza dough as 'malicious tampering'
- A man in upstate New York has been charged in the death of an 80-year-old man who confronted him over not wearing a mask
- QAnon believers say they want to stop sex-trafficking. Sex-trafficking survivors say the movement is 'infuriating.'