Five years after independent fashion designer Pol’ Atteu was attacked during a Make-A-Wish Foundation fashion show in Los Angeles, the sentencing of her attacker has prompted Atteu to take a more public stance on combating hate crimes.
Jesus Rodolfo Zepeda met the designer in St. Petersburg in September 2019. John’s Cathedral, and Zepeda was sentenced last month to five years in state prison but only had to serve four days in the county jail because of other circumstances. The sentence included a 10-year restraining order. But he was given credit for time served and the remainder, excluding any other crimes, for time already served. Referring to last month’s sentencing, Atteu said on Monday: “It was very difficult to be in the courtroom with him there. This wasn’t the first time I saw him [in court]Because I had to testify many times.”
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The designer, who was beaten and sworn at because of his gender identity, said that this action must be recognized as a hate crime by the court. California law defines a hate crime as a criminal act or credible threat of violence against an individual or group in which victims are targeted because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender identity, gender expression. , sexual orientation or disability.
Atteu said he intended to prove that this was not just a brutal beating, but something very well thought out. [a matter of] “I hate someone they don’t know because I’m gay.” Atteu said during an interview on Monday that he chose to take the case to court. Atteu also said he wanted to make sure the crime was counted as a “second attack” for Zepeda, who committed another illegal act that was not a hate crime.
“I feel like everyone before us in the LGBTQT+ community has worked so hard to gain acceptance and recognition for the community. “I thought there would be no way I could live with myself knowing that if I didn’t do this so strongly, I would let the whole society down,” Atteu said. “Being a part of this community makes me who I am.”
“It’s shocking to me that there are still hate crimes in 2024 and there are people who are not charged with these crimes,” said her husband, Patrik Simpson, who appeared with her on Amazon Prime’s reality show “Gown and Out in Beverly Hills” and witnessed the attack. I am either comfortable or not accepting of LGBTQT+. It’s a crazy town. Crazy Town.”
Zepeda’s attorney, John Padilla Yutan, could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.
Atteu has proposed tougher laws for hate crimes and said the court “must go the distance for anyone who will come after them” to remedy the situation. As a “prominent gay couple,” he and Simpson will work with GLAAD, the West Hollywood Gay and Lesbian Community Center, and the Advocate to bring attention to this issue. “We want to create a coalition where we can support and help individuals who have gone through this and don’t have the resources or platforms to speak out,” Atteu said. “We want to be a platform,” he said.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there were 11,288 unilateral incidents involving 13,2787 victims in the United States in 2022. Of this total, 17.2 percent was attributed to sexual orientation. That same year, there were 1,495 hate crimes against people in California; about 19 percent of these were due to sexual orientation. This total figure increased by 66.1 percent compared to 2021.
Simpson said: “If telling Pol’s story means a person involved in a hate crime can come forward, be brave and have the courage to tell their story to the police and complete the investigation, then I’m happy we’re coming forward.”
With Season Five of “Gown and Out in Beverly Hills” set to debut later this summer, the duo plans to weave the decision and resolution into the narrative. They also headline the weekly “Undressed with Pol’ and Patrik” podcast, which features a different celebrity guest, available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Atteu and Simpson host the weekly “Runway Rundown” segment of Jeff Lewis’ Radio Andy “Extended” show on Sirius XM.
The designer said Monday that he first saw the attacker, later identified as Zepeda, during auditions for the show at his Beverly Hills flagship. Atteu said Zepeda was there under false pretenses and pretended to be a modeling agent. “The whole setup was very disturbing, so he was removed from the building,” she said.
According to the couple, Zepeda later joined the fashion show and acted as if her 9-year-old daughter was a part of it. According to Simpson, the designer collaborated with Disney star Ava Kolker at the time and enlisted the children of other celebrities to participate in the show. When Atteu saw Zepeda in the hair and make-up room, he had her escorted out. Atteu said Monday that Zepeda secretly returned to the property, hid behind bushes in the cathedral courtyard and attacked him from behind.
He and Simpson were also recording “Gown and Out in Beverly Hills” during the show. Therefore, a production crew, as well as models and producer George Tillman Jr. There were approximately 550 people, including fashion show guests such as. Simpson said he saw Atteu being beaten and called “‘fu#*ing fag*#ot.'” Simpson said over and over again but was unable to reach him because the entryway was blocked. According to the couple, about 12 of the swimsuit-clad models were lined up and when they were within earshot of the screams, several rolled over and tried to stop Zepeda as others ran away. A hired security guard was at the scene but had taken a bathroom break without telling anyone. Atteu was hospitalized for two and a half days with a concussion, shoulder injury and severe bruising. He said he still felt “the intensity of the blow” to the back of his head that initiated the attack. Arriving on the set of the Peacock series “The Bay”, where he manages the wardrobe, Atteu said that he now always positions himself so that no one can “sneak up behind him”.
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