Gay Ore. couple attacked on street while walking pink poodle
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HILLSBORO, Ore. – A pink poodle sparked what appeared to be a hate crime after a stranger stopped and got out of his car to attack a couple while screaming homophobic slurs.
It happened at 185th and Evergreen, next to a busy strip mall with stores like Office Depot and Petco at about 3:30 p.m. Friday. Witnesses said the attacker did a U-turn, got out of his car and went after them in the middle of a crosswalk in the middle of the day.
Hillsboro police said they arrested the suspect, 22-year-old George Allen Mason, Jr. (photo at right), at around 2 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Target store on NW Evergreen, not far from where the alleged attack happened.
David Beltier is happy to be alive.
"If I didn't hear all the other people honking, all the people seeing what was going on, he could have probably severely hurt me, maybe even killed me right there and then," he said Friday.
Beltier and his boyfriend, Jeremy Mark, were on a walk with their pink poodle "Beauty" – one of three colorful dogs dyed with Kool-Aid for Easter. Beltier said he dyed the dogs for fun.
But the fun with his poodle prompted profanities from a stranger who did a U-turn, got out of his car and began punching Beltier in the street.
"After that, he turns around, he goes back to his car, runs back to his car and brings out this long wrench-looking crowbar tool or something like that, and he comes back after me," Beltier said.
He said the man hit him in the arm and the back of the head.
"I just couldn't believe it," said Mark. "I was shouting at the guy to stop. There's no need for violence. There's nothing to provoke him. ... I was fearing for his life."
The man took off, but plenty of people were watching.
"One of the witnesses tried to block him in and got the license plate number for us and then another witness followed him," Mark said.
Police used that license plate number to track down Mason's 1997 Land Rover in the parking lot. Mason is a transient, according to police.
"I'm so grateful for the community," Beltier said. "If it wasn't for a lot of the witnesses and all the community people, it probably could have been really disastrous."
While police said it might be a good idea for his safety to take the dye out of his dogs' fur, Beltier said he doesn't want the attacker to win and have control over his life. He said he'll just let the dogs' colorful fur grow out on its own.
Police took Mason to the Washington County Jail. He faces charges of intimidation (2nd degree), assault (2nd degree), unlawful use of a weapon and reckless driving.
Officers also found Mason's wife, 23-year-old Saraya Gardner, in the car. Police cited Gardner for interfering with an officer because she was reluctant to cooperate. she was in the car during the attack, according to police.
"brings out this long wrench-looking crowbar tool or something like that" - I'm not sure which direction I wan to take this joke...
Maybe he didnt like pink poodles................This might not be a gay thing..............Pink poodles should not be allowed to roam the streets.................those 2 guys might as well wear dresses and hold hands and skip down the road for attention like they got.I dont condon violence but there are violent people out there that can be set off by crazy stuff............
I wish I would have seen this! What a couple of sissys.............
@zeke123 I hope you meant "sissies" in regards to the attacker and his wife.
A homeless guy with a Land Rover? Homeless services seem to be very good these days....
@Goodwin A '94 Land Rover ... only 19 years old ... yeah, sounds like the lap of luxury ... or are you having a math malfunction?
No one said this moron had any problems with job, just homeless.  He probably owned the car before going 'nuts' and losing everything.
Big brave witnesses HONKING? Really? How many of you sat there in your car honking or calling 911, instead of coming to that man's aid? Â That is pathetic. They could have stopped the attack if enough of them had the cajones to get out of their car. Â Instead they honk... gosh, where they afraid it was holding up traffic? Â Calling 911 is not heroic. Nor is honking. Â Â
Makes me sad that they were advised to take the koolaid dye off the dogs, for their own safety, so that the inbred hicks in the PNW don't beat them again. Â
@DTÂ --- Ah, yes, hindsight is always 20/20. It's really brave of you, sitting there in the safety of your home, behind your computer, calling someone pathetic. I would have done the same thing; I would not have gotten out of my car either, and I doubt you would have too.More times than not, the person offering assistance or help usually is hurt or worse, killed. You sure these two are worth more than your life. I doubt it.
@DTÂ With all the shootings lately I don't blame anyone for not stepping in. Â I have no fighting skills so if I'm unarmed and see a crazy guy attacking someone I'm not likely to step in either. Â Making sure I get home to my family is priority #1. Â Even if 4 of us go after him who's to day he doesn't pull out a gun?
How can some of you act like this is ok? Frankly this gives a better example how transients can be dangerous to people. There are alot worse things to see downtown than a pink poodle...
This is just the typical bad redneck behavior in Oregon. Then they wonder why the job market is so low in the state.
@Bubbabear64Â Probably an Oregon grad.
Sometimes discretion is called for. Fine to be gay, but don't push it in the face of the over-sensitive.
@contraryjim Forget that. Try different flavors of that, and see how it works. "Fine to be a woman that works outside of the home, but don't push it in the face of the over-sensitive" or "Fine to be dark-skinned and affluent, but don't push it in the face of the over-sensitive" sound ridiculous - yet your sentence is somehow acceptable?
Like I said, forget that. Bigotry is bigotry. Don't condone it by softpedaling bigotry as being "over-sensitive."
@contraryjim Now that is stupid. You know, if you kept your mouth shut, we might wonder. But when you open it, you leave us without a doubt.
@contraryjimI disagree with this greatly. This is another way to tell homosexuals that they're born wrong and to hide it. They're not and they shouldn't. It's ignorant people that perpetuate a hateful world. I think George Allen Mason, Jr. is a self-loathing closeted gay man (as homophobic people are) that takes his suppressed emotions and hurt out on those that are comfortable in their own skin.
How do you identify the overly sensitive?  Just like gays - do the look different? How do you know when you -might- come across one?
You can't. It's silly and dishonest to push the "Sometimes discretion is called for. Fine to be gay, but don't push it in the face of the over-sensitive" attitude.
I'm sure there's a gayer scene than two guys walking hand-in-hand with a pink poodle, but I have no idea what it would be.
@SeattleJack Why would it matter? Is there somehow a bar that, once crossed, makes bigotry acceptable?
Too much gayness for one picture.Â
does david even lift? looks like he needs to hit the gym, then maybe he could defend himself better.
I'm glad these guys are okay and they found the creep. What is up with attacking a couple of guys because they had a pink dog??? I mean obviously the guy must be unstable for something like that to set him off....... doesnt look like the sharpest tool in the shed either.........
@Susabelle Oregon has many more like him.Â
@Citizen#3457899654 Stereotyping is the basis of all discrimination. Maybe you should have thought about that before posting such a ridiculous comment.
@DT @NewsJunky @Citizen#3457899654 ROFLMAO!!!! Mississippi with mold??? OMG that is too funny! Okay, thanks for the visual, I've lived in Mississippi, I dont personally think it even comes close, but the comment was very funny.
@NewsJunky @Citizen#3457899654 I've been to Oregon a lot.  Trust me. That inbred is the face of Oregon, outside of the hipster or hippie towns.  People diss California all the time, and talk trash about Hispanics there, but I'd much rather live there than in Oregon.  It's like Mississippi with mold.Â
What a troglodyte! When you look at the picture of this guy, you can see he's not the brightest star in the firmament.
@factchekr  You can't be serious.
"Police cited Gardner for interfering with an officer because she was reluctant to cooperate."
I'm kind of curious about this charge. Â Seeing how she might have been an accomplice, wouldn't she have a 5th amendment right against self incrimination (not justifying the perp's actions in any way of course)?
"got out of his car and began punching Beltier in the street."
Getting punched in the street had to hurt. Punch him in the arm or the back, but for all that's good, don't punch him in the "street". Â :-D
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@Randall Flagg And by your comments no one would think your a total jerk.Â
@Randall Flagg Love the sarcasm.
Guys get attacked, public yawns. Dog has fur temporarily coloured, public throws a FIT.
People dye pets fur often, and as long as normal food grade dyes are used, and the animal doesn't have major skin conditions or manages to eat an entire preparation of dye, there's not bound to be any harm. A lot of dog grooming salons will do this for Halloween. Â You've never seen a pink poodle before?? (sidenote: not that I think it's a super idea, but it's not like some guy observed two men kicking thier dog down the street)Â
If this had been an older lady walking her pink (or green, blue) poodle, and she got smacked around by some dickless scum, no one would be on his side.Â
@Hadrian Just don't dye the dog with Red Dye #40! ;)
@Hadrian They dye is simply Kool-Aid. No harm (except a little sugar buzz)
@Content_People Yes. Kool-Aid = FD&C dye (and flavour).Â
@Hadrian We had a cat that came home dyed around Easter three years running. Never did find out who was doing it. I thought it was funny, actually.
CAN'T STOP LAUGHING!!!!!!
a dog dyed pink? for fun? where is the outrage by the animal rights folks? that aside the subsequent violence is unexcusable.
The suspect looks Gay.
Where is PETA when you need them?
Thats cruel to dye a dog with chemicals.
@Tacobender50 It's Kool-Aid
@Tacobender50Â It's an FD&C dye, same as in your food. Wouldn't hurt (by hurt I mean discomfort, not harm) the dog unless he managed to lick all of it off and then some.
People who abuse their pets should be beat up.
@Ken Willy lol i agree feel free to dress gay all you like, don't force your pet to look gay also
@commentator @Ken Willy So considering teens dye their hair with koolaid as well, is it okay to beat them with a tire iron, too???Â
@commentator @Ken Willy Hey moron,  pink is not a sexual  preference, it's a color. I cannot believe all the homophobic comments on this story.Â
@commentator @Ken Willy The pink poodle was female- she probably doesn't mind. She looks pretty happy in the video
@Content_People @commentator @Ken Willy Uhhh....this is a joke, right?...RIGHT???
@Ken Willy I miss the thumbs down option on this forum... for the first time.  Using Koo-iad to dye a poodle is not abuse. Â
Human beings were assaulted with a tire iron.  Wake up.Â
@lexl1019 @Ken Willy Colored HighLighters work FANTASTIC on white cats and dogs. They are also non-toxic..
@lexl1019@Ken WillyKoo-iad What is that?
@Ken Willy @lexl1019 Caught! ;)