$25,000 Reward Offered for Information on Echo Park Hate Crime

The Los Angeles City Council today approved a $25,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of a man responsible for stabbing two men in what police believe was an

``We need to capture these perpetrators of hate and take a stand of zero tolerance against any hate crime,'' said Councilman Eric Garcetti, whose district includes Echo Park where the attack occurred.

The aggressor apparently mistook a rainbow flag symbol on a bicycle as a sign they are gay, but they are not, according to police.

The attack, which occurred about midnight on May 24 on Echo Park Avenue near Montana Street,

A man with knife yelled an anti-gay slur, then stabbed one of two in the back, the victims told police. Video of the crime shows the attacker running south on Echo Park Avenue with another man and a woman, who are being chased by the second victim.

During a brief standoff, the attacker stabbed the second victim in the lower body, hitting his hip bone, police said.

The victims were intoxicated at the time and unable to give police details about the attackers that might help solve the crime, according to Northeast detective Mark Raichel.

According to Lt. Steven Flores, who oversees the detectives at LAPD's Northeast Division, it is rare to request a reward in a non-homicide case. But, he explained to Echo Park-Silver Lake Patch, the hate crime makes this an unusual investigation.

Anyone with more information was urged to call him at (323) 344-5751.

We'll have a video interview shortly on the site of an interview with one of the victim's mothers, Jenny Olivas, who first told the public about the rainbow flag.

So check back at the site.