A 19-year-old is behind bars accused of attacking his neighbor with a pipe wrench, allegedly for being a homosexual.
It began Thursday night in the 1100 block of Delray Court, Illinois.
According to a sworn affidavit, Decatur Police were called to an area home after someone reported breaking out a window.
The arriving officer reported hearing yelling coming from inside and someone calling for help.
That’s when the officer knocked on the front door before forcing their way inside.
The officer said he found Ethan J. Dickerson, 19, covered in blood and the victim with multiple severe wounds to his head.
A “significant amount of blood” was on the victim and the floor, according to the sworn affidavit.
The victim told police he was lying in bed when he heard the glass on his front window shatter. When he got out of bed to see what was going on, he found his neighbor, Ethan, coming through the window.
According to the victim, Ethan began hitting him in the face, head, and body with a pipe wrench numerous times saying things like, “you’re gay,” “you’re evil,” and “I’m going to kill you.”
At one point Ethan allegedly duct-taped the victim’s wrists and mouth and forced him into a chair. where he continued to beat him, according to a sworn affidavit.
The victim told police he was able to get free and the two began to struggle for the pipe wrench before Ethan eventually started choking him with it.
It was around this time the officer entered the home.
The victim was taken to St. Mary’s hospital with multiple injuries.
His injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening.
Ethan Dickerson was arrested on charges of attempted first-degree murder, home invasion, hate crime, aggravated unlawful restraint, and aggravated battery.
