Inset: Manuel Ortiz (KLAS/YouTube). Background: Video played in court that allegedly shows Manuel Ortiz unleashing a sucker punch on a man he saw acting “lovey-dovey” with his boyfriend (KLAS/YouTube).
A Nevada man endured a terrifying ordeal on the Las Vegas Strip when a stranger launched a vicious attack, leaving him with a serious head injury. This assault, which authorities have labeled a hate crime, unfolded after the victim was targeted for expressing affection towards his boyfriend.
Witnesses in court described the scene, recounting how the couple was simply enjoying each other’s company, holding hands and sharing kisses. During the arraignment of Manuel Ortiz, the accused, he faced charges of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm with a hate crime enhancement related to the 2023 incident.
In a disturbing outburst during the encounter, Ortiz allegedly directed a homophobic slur at Juan Cortez, the victim. Cortez, along with his boyfriend Andre Rodriguez, attended the arraignment and shared their harrowing experience with a local CBS affiliate, KLAS.
The couple was enjoying a date night, having just attended a Romeo Santos concert at the T-Mobile Arena, when they crossed paths with Ortiz and his companions. According to testimony, Ortiz and his associates hurled derogatory comments at Cortez, expressing disdain for the presence of LGBTQ individuals.
The situation escalated rapidly as court-provided surveillance footage reportedly captured the moment Ortiz hurled a beer can at Cortez. When confronted by Cortez and Rodriguez about this aggressive act, Ortiz allegedly responded with a sucker punch, leaving Cortez unconscious on the ground.
Surveillance video shown in court allegedly shows Ortiz sucker punching Cortez moments after throwing a beer can at him and being confronted about it by Cortez and Rodriguez, per KLAS.
“All I remember, I was looking at my partner, seeing him go down, and I blacked out,” Rodriguez recounted. “I was really scared,” he said. “I was really scared that Juan was going to die.”
The witness who testified said they saw Cortez “falling to the ground” and then “his head gets cracked open,” according to KLAS. He had to be hospitalized after the alleged incident and received a blood transfusion, as well as stitches.
“I was terrified, you know, I didn’t know why this was something that happened to us,” Rodriguez said. “And I never thought that it would be something that happened here in Las Vegas.”
A local police detective testified that he received a tip last year leading to the arrest of Ortiz and he was charged following an investigation. Ortiz’s defense attorney insists that his alleged actions did not stem from hate and that Cortez started an altercation with Ortiz.
“No one said he was wearing a KKK shirt. There is no evidence, literally, of hate,” lawyer Craig Mueller argued, according to KLAS.
“What was the motivation? Somebody said they heard ‘f—t’ being used, okay…The other guy came up and started cursing at a group of strangers and got hit exactly one time,” Mueller said. “This isn’t a hate crime. It’s a guy who got drunk and decided to pick a fight with some strangers.”
A jury trial is scheduled to take place on Aug. 3.
