BOSTON, April 15, 2015—A Tewksbury man already facing charges for a November assault was arraigned today on an additional charge of violating his victim’s civil rights in the alleged hate crime, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

RYAN SUGRUE (D.O.B. 3/6/91) was arraigned today in Boston Municipal Court on one count of violating a person’s civil rights in connection with a Nov. 30 attack on another man on New Chardon Street. That charge supplements existing charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery for which he has already been arraigned. Prosecutors recommended $1500 cash bail; his bail was set at $1000.

According to prosecutors, Sugrue approached a 37-year-old Chelsea man on New Chardon Street at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 30, as the victim walked to work, and without provocation began shouting ethnic slurs at him.  When the victim attempted to cross the street to avoid Sugrue’s verbal assault, Sugrue allegedly punched and kicked him, prosecutors said.

An MBTA Transit Police officer detained Sugrue near the scene. Boston Police placed him under arrest after preliminary interviews with the victim and a civilian witness.

Sugrue was arraigned on charges of assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon while the Boston Police Civil Rights Unit continued the investigation into potential civil rights violations. Based on those efforts, a complaint charging Sugrue with a civil rights violation issued on March 4.  A senior prosecutor assigned to evaluate all potential hate crimes will continue to review the case.

Sugrue returns to court May 27.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.