Tarpon Springs police today charged a third man in last weekend's beating of two gay men outside Zorba's restaurant near the Sponge Docks.
Police said Michael Kitsos, 21, of Tarpon Springs turned himself in at Tarpon Springs police headquarters at about 1 p.m. in the presence of his attorney. He was charged with three counts of battery and two counts of aggravated battery -- all of which were classified as hate crimes under Florida law -- and taken to the Pinellas County Jail.
Police have previously charged two other Tarpon Springs men, John A. Himonetos and Stamatios N. Kannis, 22, with beating a gay couple, Peter Malamoutsis and R. Gregory Hall, both of Bartow, and several other people outside Zorba's early Saturday morning.
In a brief statement released this afternoon, an attorney for Kitsos and Kannis said the two men do not hate anyone and predicted that the judicial process would establish that neither took part in a hate crime.
[Last modified November 25, 2003, 17:12:06]
