Satan to Worshipers: Watch your Back

Or I can only imagine that Satan is sending the warning to his evil, soul stealing minions because we have this report of a hate crime against someone who is allegedly a satanist. My friends (and enemies, you know who you are...) this is a strange, weird story.

See for yourself:

Beating of Queens Satanist Prompts Hate Crime Charges

Ever since he was 12, Daniel Romano has cut a noticeable figure around Middle Village, a working class part of Queens Mr. Romano, 20, who calls himself a Satanist, stands out, with his blue-tinted bouffant hairdo, his black clothing and fingernails, and the prominent crucifix, worn upside down.

Mr. Romano has long been teased for dressing like a "gothic kid" or simply a "goth," in a community with small homes, neat lawns and populated with many Roman Catholics.

But in recent weeks, two local teenagers began fixating on Mr. Romano, calling him names including "Satan worshiper," "baby sacrificer" and "hooker killer," the authorities say On Sunday the verbal harassment turned into violence.

Mr. Romano, while walking on 72nd Street in Maspeth, was attacked by the two teenagers, the authorities say Yesterday the Queens district attorney, Richard A Brown, announced that the young men, Paul C Rotondi and Frank M Scarpinito, both 18 and from Middle Village, would be charged with hate crimes, which carry harsher penalties and are usually leveled when an attack involves a victim's ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.

Prosecutors say they attacked Mr. Romano because of his religious beliefs: They thought he worshiped Satan. They were arraigned yesterday on charges of second-degree assault as a hate crime, possession of a weapon and aggravated harassment. The charges could carry prison terms of up to 15 years.