Apr 17
Family Believes Hair Stylist Beaten in West Hollywood Is Hate Crime Victim
Emell Adolphus READ TIME: 2 MIN.
There is another update in the case of the popular celebrity hairstylist who was brutally attacked outside of an LA nightclub and left for dead.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Alberto Vasquez, 53, was beaten unconscious around 8 p.m. on Friday, April 5, outside of the Heart Weho in the Rainbow District of West Hollywood. The details around whether Vasquez was attacked by one or more people are still unknown, but his family believes that he may have been targeted because of his race and sexuality.
"We feel it's gay bashing," said Vasquez's sister, Gloria Jimenez, noting that her brother was not robbed. "He's got injuries all over his body, his neck, we don't know if he'll ever be the same."
A hair stylist who has worked for studios and behind the scenes at fashion shows in Paris and New York, Vasquez counts many celebrities, including Elizabeth Moss, among his clients. But now his family fears he won't be able to fully recover from his severe injuries.
A GoFundMe page has been set up in Vasquez's honor by his family to help with hospital bills, with a goal of reaching $50,000. "We are relieved that he is expected to survive, but he will need multiple surgeries, has possible brain damage, and has a long road ahead to recovery," the page says.
Visit Vasquez's GoFundMe page at this link.
Vasquez spent more than a week in an ICU as a result of his injuries, and doctors were forced to remove part of his skull to relieve pressure on his brain due to swelling.
Badly beaten, Vasquez was found by a pedestrian in a parking lot near the nightclub and was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center early Saturday morning. It reportedly took his family five days before they could find where he was. The Mail noted that Vasquez had been going to meet friends at the nearby Gym Bar, but never showed up.
Hoping to find who attacked Vasquez, his family has turned to the public for answers.
"It's 10 days now and we don't have anything," Jimenez told KCAL news. "He's only saying he was attacked."
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is reportedly investigating the incident, but has yet to identify any subjects. Vasquez is only the latest gay man to be attacked in the area.
