Eight black and Hispanic suspects arrested in connection with a series of brutal, anti-gay hate crimes in New York City have been arraigned

Charges against them include harassment, criminal possession of a weapon, unlawful imprisonment, assault, robbery and sexual abuse as hate crimes. Authorities identified the suspects arraigned as Bryan Almonte, 17, Steven Carabello, 17, Brian Cepeda, 17, Nelson Falu, 17, Idelfonso Mendez, 23, Dennis Piters, 17, David Rivera, 21, and Elmer Confresi, 23. Bronx Criminal Court Judge Harold Adler set bail at $100,000 for defendants Piters and Carabello, according to the spokesman for the Bronx district attorney. The remaining suspects were ordered held without bail, he said. The teenagers are being charged as adults, police have said. None of the defendants entered pleas at the arraignment. A ninth suspect, previously identified as 22-year-old Ruddy Vargas-Perez, remains at large. The string of attacks started when members of a street gang calling themselves the Latin King Goonies learned an aspiring member had sex with a man, authorities said.