Story by Ethan
On August 6th, 2026, the arrest of Kevin Maxwell, age 37, was announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg. Jr.. Kevin Maxwell was charged with second-degree Assault as a hate crime and a class C felony, second-degree Aggravated Harassment as a class A misdemeanor, third-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon as a class D felony, third-degree Assault as a hate crime and a class E felony, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child as a class A misdemeanor. The arrest and charges against Kevin Maxwell were a result of an investigation handled by Detective Steven Acevedo of the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, at approximately 12:00 p.m. on April 29th, 2026, the 12-year-old victim was with a group of his friends at Baruch Playground located on the Lower East Side in the New York City Housing Authority’s Bernard M. Baruch Houses. At this time Kevin Maxwell approached the child while telling him to keep watch of his personal property so it wouldn’t get stolen. After the defendant was ignored as the kid hummed and sang to himself, Kevin Maxwell called the victim “stupid” while making a homophobic remark. After making the comment the defendant left the playground and entered a nearby building before then returning with a belt. Kevin Maxwell while brandishing the belt approached the victim again before allegedly hitting him with it, causing a laceration to the child’s shoulder. During the assault the defendant is alleged to have repeatedly called the victim “gay”.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office stated that the charges against Kevin Maxwell are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
