Pair charged over bullying disabled man

DUNKIRK, N.Y. (WIVB) - News 4 did a special report on adults in Dunkirk bullying 37-year-old disabled man Miguel "Mikey" Gonzalez and that report is now getting results.

Ryan Hudson, 18, and Matt Colon, 19, are both charged with fourth degree stalking. The misdemeanor charge could land them up to 90 days in jail and one year probation.

"Once I saw the full video, quite frankly it made me sick to my stomach," said Dunkirk Police Chief Dave Ortolano.

Mikey has Tourette's, which causes him to yell and hit himself when people agitate him. He's been bullied so much he has beat himself blind in one eye, while the bullies continue to laugh, provoke him more, and post videos of their torment online.

MORE | See our original report and the horrifying YouTube videos Hudson and Colon posted online showing the pair harassing Mikey until he uncontrollably begins hitting himself in the face

This week, Mikey was able to go back to work at the Dunkirk Resource Center a little relieved. People are now looking out for him.

"There's always hope," Mikey said.

Chief Ortolano says his department won't tolerate what the videos posted online show - men following Mikey around Dunkirk and provoking him until Mikey starts hitting himself - a symptom of his Tourette's. Ortolano says they are treating the case as stalking or harassment.

"We have had issues with Miguel in the past where we'd get calls from passing motorists who'd say they saw someone hitting himself. And I can tell you this, every time we would send an officer, they located him and made sure he was safe and make sure he found his way home," Ortolano responded.

The police chief says his department received no reports of people bullying Mikey until we showed him the video. The family claims they have been complaining to police, but they got no action.

"The police need to step up. When they get a call about Mikey they need to actually follow up on a report," said Mikey's brother Sam Gonzalez.

The police chief says he hopes charging the suspects will send a message.

"I think we need to send that message. Special needs people in our community, I think we need to do everything we can to protect them," Ortolano said.

Watching our report was hard for his loved ones.

"It was heartbreaking," said friend Rachel Clark.

"I started crying when I was watching it," Mikey's mother Linda Gonzalez said.

But they say it was necessary.

"People need to see it to believe it," Clark said.

"I just wanted everyone to see what's going on with Mikey, so they can help raise awareness about what's going on with him," Gonzalez added.

"He could make you laugh. He could make you cry. He'll remember your birthday. If you're injured, he'll ask you every single day, 'Are you okay?'" Mikey's work supervisor Evelyn Torres said.

His co-workers, friends and family hope this isn't a short-term fix. Mikey's mother says he's been teased since he was kid. That's 37 years of bullying. And it's always the same thing - people making cat noises at him. She hopes exposing the bullies makes an impact.

"Justice is done on these people. Maybe they could meet with Mikey and apologize to Mikey and really mean it," Linda said.

In order for them to mean it, it will take quite a turnaround from their current attitudes. When confronted about his role in this video, Ryan Hudson thought he was the one being harassed.

And as soon as News 4 started promoting the special report, Matt Colon re-posted the video on YouTube, encouraging everyone to watch it. On Twitter he said the video's going to make him famous.

We tried to get their response to our special report, and Hudson and Colon confronted News 4's Lou Raguse together, shouting insults not fit for a news broadcast or print. As soon as we started filming, they zoomed away in the same white Lincoln featured in the YouTube video where they harassed Mikey.

All of their bragging helped Dunkirk Police in their investigation. They are now officially charged. Hudson and Colon will be arraigned November 12 in Dunkirk City Court.