Suspects charged with hate crimes in Wheaton

Three men who are believed to have gang affiliations have been charged with a hate crime and attempted murder in connection with an attack last month in Wheaton, the Montgomery County police said Monday.

In the Oct. 25 attack, rocks and bottles were thrown at two women and a man on Weisman Road, police said. In addition, police said, the men shouted words that appeared to refer to the victims' perceived sexual orientation. One victim, a 30-year-old woman, was struck in the forehead by a rock and seriously injured, police said.

Police identified the suspects as Cinder Tobar-Campos, 23, of the 1200 block of Knoll Mist Lane in Montgomery Village; William A. Mendoza, 30, of the 7300 block of 23rd Avenue in Hyattsville, and Felix A. Cantarero, 24, of the 3400 block of Farthing Drive in Wheaton. Police said it was believed that they were affiliated with the MS-13 gang.

All were charged with assault and attempted murder, police said. In addition police said, they were charged with committing a crime by assaulting a victim because of the victim's perceived sexual orientation.