By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

A Cicero man has been charged with a hate crime and sexual assault after allegedly raping a man Dec. 21.

Felipe Rivera, 43, of Cicero, faces criminal charges after following a man from a party back to his apartment, according to the Chicago Tribune. The unidentified man, 37, was climbing an outdoor stairwell when Rivera allegedly attacked him. A neighbor called the police after discovering the victim unconscious and bleeding on the stairwell.

Rivera allegedly removed the victim’s pants and raped him, according to Chicago Sun-Times. He also punched the victim in the head and inserted a broom handle into the man’s rectum, all the while shouting sexually derogatory remarks.

The victim had met Rivera earlier that night at a party in the 1200 block of South 50th Avenue. Rivera was thrown out of the party after punching the man, who, he alleged, “winked at him.”

After the assault, Rivera went to his mother’s home. She had earlier taken out an order of protection against him, so she phoned the police and Rivera was arrested.

He allegedly told police that he assaulted the man because he “hates faggots and this is what they get,” Cicero police spokesman Dan Proft told the Sun-Times.

Rivera’s bond was set Dec. 26 at $350,000 for the assault and $50,000 for a probation violation. If convicted he could get up to 30 years for the assault and one to five years for the hate crime.