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In the early morning hours of July 4th, 2008 - DJ Bell attended a get together at his neighbor's home (The Latus).

Around 6:00 AM he went home to refresh his drink and two of their children followed him - asking for some juice (his drink was red).

He asked them to wait and he would get them a drink. 

Dan was brutally attacked with household objects while DJ had his head slammed repeatedly into a brick wall and the cement driveway.

Homophobic comments accompanied each blow.

The words "FAGGOT," "FAG," "COCK-SUCKER," and "QUEER," were mingled between statements full of hate.

"Kick their f*$&ing FAGGOT asses!" and "Just die, you f*$&ing FAG!" made them fear for their lives.

Three people called the police – in this order:

Another neighbor who found DJ beaten and unconscious in his driveway. He was worried that he may be dead. A friend in the home of DJ and Dan who was never asked for his official statement. And finally, Lulu Latu – nearly an hour after she sent her family to attack them.  She never mentioned her kids.

The police arrived - found two gay men beaten, the story of an alleged kidnapping started to take form, they didn’t ask questions, they didn’t call out a crime scene unit, they didn’t tape off the scene, they didn’t interview their friends who were in the house. 14 eye witnesses were never interviewed. They arrested DJ, and charged him with two counts of attempted kidnapping.

Assumptions were made, justice not served, investigations not conducted – because who wouldn’t believe two gay men did this!

After DJ was arrested and Dan taken to the hospital a friend of theirs was yelled at by a member of the assaulting party, "we hope your friend dies, and if he doesn't we're going to come back and finish the job!" in the presence of two officers. When their friend asked the officers, "Are you hearing this? Are you going to do anything about it?" they replied with a shrug and walked away.

Charges were filed against 7 of DJ and Dan’s attackers on March 2nd, 2010. 

From the Deseret News:

(To see Probable Cause Statement for each attacker - see Probable Cause blog entry)

Tapululululu (Lulu) Latu, 30, charged with riot, a third-degree felony.

Rita Aiono, 26, charged with riot, a third-degree felony.

Marsha Rae Finau, 30, charged with riot, a third-degree felony.

Angelina Janae Dibella, 31, charged with riot, a third-degree felony, and assault, a class A misdemeanor.

Ricky Ian Peace, 33, charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated assault, first-degree felonies, and riot, a third-degree felony.

Ieti David Mageo, 32, charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated assault, first-degree felonies, and riot, a third-degree felony.

Ietitaia Tavita Nuusila, 26, charged with aggravated burglary and aggravated assault, first-degree felonies; riot, a third-degree felony; assault, a class A misdemeanor; and giving false personal information to a peace officer, a class A misdemeanor.

The fight is still not over, we still have the trials for each of these people...and civil suits have not been ruled out!

DJ and Dan still receive threats from people involved in this case.

Tell our story, spread the word, send the message that this kind of violence is not tolerated in our community.

Stay posted for updates!

They waited on the door step, he gave them some juice and returned to his kitchen to put the glasses in the sink.  He turned and told them “Let’s go find your Mommy” just as a drunk Lulu Latu stormed into the house.

She began to attack DJ - screaming about her kids.  He didn’t have a chance to say a word.

Dan woke up and tired to calm her down.  She called them faggot pedophiles and stormed from the house - warning them to lock their doors because she was going to send her family back over...

Just as they locked up the house - glass began to crash as a mob of drunken men started to break through windows and doors. 

Dan told the other people in the home (there were 3 other adults) to hide while he tried to keep the angry mob from entering. 

Just as they broke through one door and started to beat Dan, they pulled DJ through another door to the outside where they attacked him in his own driveway.

Dan, who had been asleep until this woman woke him up, received the worst of the beatings.  His doctors told him that whoever had done this to him was trying to kill him. 

Even though Dan was never charged with anything - his attackers went free.

On September 25, 2009 (a year and a half later) at 3:40 PM in the afternoon - DJ Bel was found Not Guilty on all charges.   The jury deliberated less than 3 hours and later said this trial was travesty and a waste of time and money.