The violent event was precipitated by a verbal tirade which included vulgar language and antigay slurs directed at the three gay males by Rehoboth resident Vincenzo DiDomenicis. As the event escalated into a heated exchange by both parties, DiDomenicis and his friends brought out lead pipes from their vehicle. DiDomenicis currently faces a disorderly conduct charge.

RBPD Chief Keith Banks said the department is reviewing the statements of all six men and has requested they each submit to second interviews before adding any new charges.

"This is a high priority. As long as this case is open, new charges can be filed. Mr. DiDomenicis was arrested for using that language and for causing that fight and now we’ll go from there. So far, it is not being considered a hate crime," said Banks. By definition, a hate crime is targeted criminal activity, usually motivated by prejudice based on perceived personal characteristics of the victims such as race, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

For Matt Beierschmitt, this certainly feels like a hate crime. Now at home in New Jersey recovering from intensive oral surgery and chin and jaw wiring, Beierschmitt said he was stunned by the violence of the local men and disappointed with what he considers an insensitive reaction by the city police. "The guys were yelling about how gays and lesbians have ruined the town and should be forced to leave. The one even kept shouting about a gay Taliban, it didn’t even make any sense. Then the one guy was kicking our car before running off to his vehicle. It was scary, who keeps lead pipes in their truck? It was bizarre," he said. Although he stands a formidable 6’ 7" tall, Beierschmitt was struck by an attack from behind which resulted in a broken jaw, lost teeth, and whiplash. He said regardless of the criminal proceedings he will be filing civil charges for medical costs and damages.

Lawrence Franchetti, who was walking with Beierschmitt, was not physically injured during the altercation but said he remains shaken by it. While he feels in retrospect that he and his friends probably should have ignored the taunting of DiDomenicis, Franchetti said the words and actions of the straight men seemed imminently threatening and motivated by prejudice of their sexual orientation.

"The irony is that we thought someone else was in danger when we heard the ranting. Then we realized the slurs were against gays and that they were talking to us," said Franchetti.

"I think it is very important that the community have awareness of this event. I think over the years we have all begun to take our safety in Rehoboth for granted and it clearly should not be. I also think that the officers should be coached on appropriate responses to these crimes on gays," said Franchetti.

To that end, Franchetti contacted Rehoboth Beach Commissioner Mark Aguirre to encourage that city officials and RBPD follow up on the violent encounter.

"This is something that is clearly much more serious than disorderly conduct," said Aguirre, who has been in contact with many of those involved. "However, I’d definitely have to say it should not be considered a gay bashing either, that involves a surprise and even premeditated attack. As they have all acknowledged, there were opportunities for the situation to be diffused. I understand their frustration and I’m not going to condemn them for meeting force with force but we all need to be mindful and careful of how we handle these situations," said Aguirre.

Both Aguirre and Banks asserted that while the turbulent incident is alarming, it is not indicative of the relationships between the gay and lesbian population and the straight population of Rehoboth Beach.

"Fortunately this isn’t the norm for Rehoboth. We are a diverse community which welcomes everyone. The fact is we have conflicting stories and when a fight involves intoxicated persons it doesn’t help. We hope to have this case closed within two weeks and we are asking for input," said Banks.