SALISBURY, MD - Numerous Salisbury University students implicated in an off-campus ambush assault that was recorded and widely shared online have had hate crime charges and felony assault charges against them dropped.
The various charges stem from an October 15 incident in which one student allegedly pretended to be a 16-year-old on a dating app, according to investigators. Police say the student then lured an adult victim to an off-campus apartment under the false pretense of sex. When the victim arrived, police say a group of students, all affiliated with a Salisbury University fraternity, ambushed and assaulted the man.
The man would later tell police he believed he was targeted because of his sexuality, according to charging documents. The attack sparked outrage from the University community with many voicing their opposition to violence and hate.
Ultimately, fifteen SU students were charged in the assault investigation, all of them seeing initial charges of felony assault and hate crime offenses. All were expelled from the fraternity and suspended from SU.
On Wednesday, December 4, Cruz Cespedes was the first suspect to have the hate crime allegations against him withdrawn. On Thursday, ten more of the student suspects had their charges reduced to one count of second degree assault and one count of false imprisonment or conspiracy to commit false imprisonment.
Cameron Guy was one of the ten who saw their charges reduced Thursday. His attorney, Tom Maronick Jr., told WBOC the following:
“We are pleased that the State’s Attorney’s Office has dropped all felony charges against Cameron and left only misdemeanors against him, which will remain to be heard in District Court. I have said from the beginning that Cameron Guy was not involved in any hate crime and that allegations against him were false."
As of Thursday, two students, Riley Brister, 20, and Logan Clark, still had felony first degree assault listed as a charge against them, according to court records.
On Friday, December 6, Brister's charges were also reduced, and the hate crime counts dropped.
Zachary Leinemann, 18, who police say posed as a 16-year-old to lure the victim to the apartment, faces three charges including a hate crime offense in Wicomico County Circuit Court. Elijah Johnson, 19, faces the same misdemeanor charges in circuit court.
The full list of accused students, the respective charges, and scheduled court dates are as follows:
Wicomico County District Court
-Bennan Aird - 12 original charges reduced to 2 misdemeanor charges, trial 1/29/25
-Dylan Earp - 12 original charges reduced to 2 misdemeanor charges, trial 1/29/25
-Ryder Baker - 12 original charges reduced to 2 misdemeanor charges, trial 1/29/25
-Cameron Guy - 12 original charges reduced to 2 misdemeanor charges, trial 1/29/25
-Jacob Howard - 53 original charges reduced to 2 misdemeanor charges, trial 1/29/25
-Eric Sinclair - 12 original charges reduced to 2 misdemeanor charges, trial 1/29/25
-Patrick Gutierrez - 12 original charges reduced to 2 misdemeanor charges, trial 1/29/25
-Dylan Pietuszka - 53 original charges reduced to 2 misdemeanor charges, trial 1/24/25
-Benjamin Brandenburg - 12 original charges reduced to 2 misdemeanor charges, trial 1/29/25
-Sean Antone - 12 original charges reduced to 2 misdemeanor charges, trial 1/29/25
-Riley Brister - 12 original charges reduced to 2 misdemeanor charges, trial 1/29/25
-Logan Clark - Currently charged with 6 original charges including hate crime offenses, court date 12/12/24
Wicomico County Circuit Court
-Zachary Leinemann - 3 charges including misdemeanor hate crime charge, initial appearance 1/3/25
-Elijah Johnson - 12 charges reduced to 3, including misdemeanor hate crime charge, court date 1/3/25
