Twenty-year old James Kilgore, of Lutz, Florida, woke his mother, Mary Anne early on the morning of June 27, yelling "Ma, wake up! Call the cops. They're here trying to get us!"

Kilgore was alerting his mother to the presence of 10 bat-wielding invader-bigots who were already in the Kilgore house smashing its interior with bats and brass knuckles. They hoped, according to deputies and detectives in the Hillsborough County sheriff's office, to punish James Kilgore for being gay.

Losses in Mrs. Kilgore's home amounted to approximately $2,000 dollars, with china smashed and holes punched into walls and windows. The gang, who called themselves "The Lutz Boys" were not known to local authorities as typical street thugs. Their rampage, according to the sheriff's detectives, was motivated solely by anti-gay prejudice.

"I can't believe that people who used to call themselves my friends can do this to me," said Kilgore, who knew most of the attackers, but became estranged from them after allowing openly that he was gay. Kilgore and his mother both escaped harm, however.

According to the sheriff's office, the gang gathered at a gas station around 4 a.m. on June 27 and their conversation turned to gay bashing and thence to Kilgore. They advanced on his mother's home hoping to beat him up.

Kilgore and a friend were in the garage when the attackers pulled up, baseball bats at the ready. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," said the young man, closing the garage door. The gang smashed its way into the house through a side door.

Kilgore's 6-year old brother and 8-year old sister, who had been asleep in the living room, locked themselves in the bathroom while Mrs. Kilgore ran from the house dialing 911 on a portable telephone. Attackers chased her and smashed her phone. Kilgore, looking out the window saw one gang member standing over his mother, threatening her with a bat. He ran from the house, carrying a machete and the attackers fled, fearing arrest.

Within the next few weeks nine of the ten had been apprehended and most had confessed to the hate crime. A singular gang member considered the most violent of the group, Karnado "Papa" Brown, 22, is reputed to have been the bat wielder who had caused the most damage.

Others in the gang included Justin P. Lambeth, 17; Michael S. Darius, 18; Christopher J. Hernandez, 17; Kristopher J. Moats, 16; Mitchell T. Wester, 16; Matthew J. Hancock, 18; James E. Chambers, 17 and James R. Hubbard, 17. An 18- year-old, Andres W. Ward of Clearwater, is the only suspect who still remains at large.

Kanardo Brown is facing the most serious of the charges leveled at the attackers: aggravated assault, armed burglary and kidnapping. Brown was jailed with his bail set at $65,000.

Kilgore told reporters he wants to see "these punks" put away, while his mother now hopes to move from the neighborhood where she and her family have lived for the past twelve years.