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Brooklyn man charged with hate crimes for allegedly assaulting 12-year-old with a belt
By
Louis C. Hochman
Published Aug 6, 2026
Modified Aug 6, 2026
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Richard Levine/Corbis via Getty Images)
By
Louis C. Hochman
Published Aug 6, 2026
Modified Aug 6, 2026
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A Brooklyn man has been indicted on hate crime charges after allegedly hitting a 12-year-old boy with a belt and calling him “gay” at a Lower East Side playground earlier this year.
The indictment alleges that Kevin Maxwell, 37, approached a child who was playing with friends at a playground in the NYCHA Bernard M. Baruch Houses on April 29. It says Maxwell told the boy he should be more mindful of his property to keep it from getting stolen, but that when the child didn’t reply — instead humming and singing to himself — Maxwell called him “stupid” and made an anti-gay remark.
Prosecutors say Maxwell then went to a nearby building, came back with a belt, and struck the 12-year-old while calling him “gay,” lacerating the boy’s shoulder. Police arrested Maxwell in connection with the incident on July 5, weeks after he published a sketch of a suspect and asked the public for help identifying him.
The indictment, announced Thursday, charges Maxwell with assault in the second degree as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, assault in the third degree as a hate crime, endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated harassment in the second degree.
“Hate crimes undermine the values of dignity, safety and inclusion that define our city,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “As alleged, Kevin Maxwell violently attacked an innocent and vulnerable child — a stranger — while directing hateful language at him.
“Every child deserves to feel safe in our parks and other shared spaces, and we are dedicated to protecting New Yorkers by using every tool available to hold those who commit bias-motivated attacks accountable.”
Maxwell is represented by the Legal Aid Society, according to city records. The organization declined to comment on the charges.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges at an arraignment Thursday, according to city records.
This story has been updated with more information.
Tagged
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manhattan
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Louis C. Hochman
After about two decades in (mostly) New Jersey-focused commercial print, digital and digital-but-radio-adjacent news, Lou stumbled into member-supported news in early 2021, as the editor and CEO of Montclair Local. There, he (hopes he) expanded enterprise, brought more sophistication to digital storytelling and moved the nonprofit newsroom closer to long-term financial sustainability. He helped lead the Local to its fourth consecutive General Excellence award from the New Jersey Press Association — the NJPA's highest honor with judges noting the paper's work to strip away layers of government opacity, to hold power to account, to make news accessible for more members of the community, to share the stories and concerns of more facets of the community and to tell compelling stories across multiple media. He's excited to continue the same ethic — news as a public service — at NYPR as the New Jersey and suburbs editor, drawing on the extraordinary talents of reporters including Karen Yi and Nancy Solomon. Lou lives in Philly (that commute!) with his partner and their two cats, about whom and about which he speaks incessantly.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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