Man Charged With Attempted Murder After Assaulting Man He Thought Was Gay, Attempting To Gouge His Eyes Out: New Jersey Attorney General

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) - An 18-year-old man accused of assaulting a man he thought was gay at a North Bergen park is charged with attempted murder, according to the New Jersey Attorney General. José Tobias Carranza Serrano, 18, of Baltimore, Md., is charged with attempted homicide, bias intimidation, robbery, and aggravated assault, according to Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.

A release from the Attorney General's office said the assault happened June 22 at North Hudson Park. Investigators said Carranza Serrano attacked the male victim in the early morning hours, punching and kicking him in the face. According to the complaint, he also tried to gouge the victim's eyes out.

After trying to strangle the victim, Carranza Serrano took the victim's phone and cash before running off.

The victim wasn't found until a few hours later.

In the criminal complaint, authorities wrote the 18-year-old admitted to luring the victim into the woods with the intention of killing them. When asked why, Carranza Serrano said he "does not like, homosexual [sic]."

"This defendant is charged with attempting to kill a complete stranger because he thought the man was gay," said Attorney General Grewal. "The victim was beaten and choked so badly that he was unconscious for several hours before a passerby found him and called for help."

Carranza Serrano was arrested June 23 and is currently in the Hudson County Correctional Facility.

The bias intimidation charge carries up to 30 years in prison, while the attempted murder charge could result in 10 to 20 years of incarceration.