Gay Man Accused Of Intentionally Spreading HIV To 24 Men

A landscaper from California who claimed to be related to a civil rights leader and labor activist, Cesar Chavez, has been accused of intentionally infecting at least two dozen men with HIV. Spokesman Michael Giorgino said San Diego’s attorney's office presented the court a complaint Thursday alleging Thomas Miguel Guerra, 29, intentionally infected a man with the virus that can cause AIDS.

According to prosecutors, Guerra was on a mission to spread the potentially deadly virus to as many people as possible. Guerra, who also goes by the name Ashton Chavez on the gay dating site Grindr, has pleaded not guilty to a previous count of violating the city's Health and Safety code.

Attorney James M. V. Fitzpatrick said his client maintains his innocence and will enter a not guilty plea again when he is arraigned September 2 for the amended complaint that specifies HIV. Fitzpatrick said the allegations were made by a jilted boyfriend after a bad break-up and are baseless.

The misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail, but Guerra could face additional counts as the investigation continues. Some of his alleged victims suggested that Guerra might have infected hundreds of men over the years.

Several of Mr Guerra’s alleged victims have come forward, revealing details about the suspect's reckless actions. Speaking to Fox5, Guerra's former sexual partner called him a 'sociopath.' Guerra's ex-boyfriend who has filed the original criminal complaint against the 29-year-old, said he decided to go public to warn other men about his dangerous behaviour. ‘His weapon is using his body to infect there people,’ the unnamed man told CBS News 8.

The accuser said he had been in a long-term relationship with Guerra and was just hours away from proposing marriage to him when he received a life-altering message on Facebook from the man’s ex-boyfriend revealing the truth about his HIV status. ‘I don't even know who I was living with. I don't know who I had fallen in love with,’ he told 10News. ‘There are many people who are being hurt and could potentially still be hurt. It needs to stop.’

Source: DailyMail UK