(West Hollywood) "It's like a cloud just lifted," says Mark Fabricci sipping a morning latte at Starbucks on Santa Monica Blvd.
News of the arrests of three men in the violent attacks on four gay men in West Hollywood spread quickly. A small crowd gathered outside the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department division in the gay neighborhood, as television crews set up for a news conference by Capt. Linda Castro, late Tuesday night.
When Castro announced the arrests a cheer went up from the onlookers. Behind her was a rainbow flag bearing the Sheriff's Department seal. It was a powerful symbol of the strong sense of community the force has in the area.
As dawn broke, the arrests were the topic of conversation throughout West Hollywood.
"I stopped going out alone after dark," Fabricci says. "So did my friends. We would try to meet while it was still early enough that there was light outside, and then take a cab to the clubs."
"I know one of the men," says Paul Adams. "He still looks awful, black eyes, bruises. It must have been terrible."
Just about everyone agrees that the police did an excellent job. "I was surprised when they announced the arrests," Fabricci says. "Frankly, I didn't think they would ever be caught."
But, for some people, like Mark Shapiro, another resident in the neighborhood, things will never be the same.
"I move here about 10 years ago from New York. I thought I left this sort of thing on the east coast. I mean we always felt 'fag bashings' could never happen here in West Hollywood. This was our community. We were safe here. That's all changed now."
Shapiro, who says he began carrying a stun gun after actor Trev Broudy was attacked, says he will continue to carry it.
The viciousness of the attacks galvanized Hollywood's gay community. The Sheriff's department doubled patrols on foot, car and bicycle in the gay West Hollywood neighborhood. In addition undercover and SWAT officers were also been placed in the area.
©365Gay.com Ltd® 2002
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