Man charged with hate crime after assault around Monroe Avenue

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A man, 29, is charged with a hate crime after Rochester Police say he assaulted someone while yelling homophobic slurs on the city’s southeast side.

Alexander Ortiz is accused of trying to run a person over, following the person to his workplace, and hitting him repeatedly on Tuesday night. Ortiz is charged with assault as a hate crime and reckless endangerment.

The victim said he was walking on Monroe Avenue near Wilcox Street when a car started following him and drove at him, causing him to jump out the way. He said the car followed him to his workplace, where the suspect got out, followed him inside, and attacked him before leaving in the same car. The victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries to his upper body.

Officers arrested Ortiz on Thursday night and he was taken to the Monroe County Jail. RPD says he also hit a person with his car who was walking in the parking lot of Price Rite on University Avenue, which happened about 45 minutes after the assault.

The victim, a man in his 40s, was taken to Strong Hospital and is expected to recover from his injuries. Ortiz is charged with failing to report a collision involving physical injury and reckless endangerment in relation to that crash.