This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – A suspect in an alleged hate-motivated assault on a gathering of friends attending a nighttime beach outing near Belmont Park was behind bars Friday.

Jose Carlos Irra, 20, allegedly was among a group of young men who belligerently confronted the partying group at a fire pit off the 3000 block of Mission Boulevard in Mission Beach about 11:30 p.m. Monday, according to San Diego police.

One of the intruders shouted “anti-LGBTQ” slurs at one the victims, a 26-year-old woman, and Irra allegedly put a pistol to the head of a 30-year-old man, San Diego Crime Stoppers reported.

Someone in the group of antagonists also hurled a filled 24-ounce beer can, hitting the female victim in the face and leaving her with a black eye. The assailants then walked off.

Investigators identified Irra as a suspect in the case with help from tips from the public, according to police.

Irra was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and brandishing a firearm in a threatening manner, along with a hate-crime allegation. He was being held on $30,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

Copyright 2021, City News Service, Inc.