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ANTHONY WALLACE

A Florida man is facing hate crime charges after hitting a black man with a bottle during a bar fight, the Daytona Beach News Journal reports.

Deputies say Jason Cuellar of Ormond Beach approached the man at the Hideout Lounge on Friday and told him “this bar is not for blacks.” The victim, 24-year-old Kenneth Hodge, ignored Cuellar’s comment. That’s when the 44-year-old hit him with the bottle.

The beer bottle cut Hodge, but the young man managed to wrestle his attacker to the ground. Cuellar was able to escape, pepper-spraying two patrons at the bar who tried to stop him. He was later arrested at a traffic stop and charged with aggravated battery, causing bodily harm and two counts of battery.

“The aggravated battery charge was reclassified to one degree higher due to the hate crime allegation,” investigating deputies wrote in their report.

It’s unclear if Cuellar has a lawyer at this time.

SOURCE: Daytona Beach News Journal | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

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Florida Man Charged With Hate Crime After Hitting Black Man With Bottle  was originally published on newsone.com