NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- New York police have made an arrest in the case of an Ecuadorian immigrant beaten to death in an apparent anti-Latino and antigay hate crime in December , New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly announced Wednesday . Jose Sucuzhanay was beaten after leaving a party at a church . Police arrested Hakim Scott , 25 , on Tuesday and charged him with second degree murder as a hate crime . Police are still looking for a second suspect . On December 7 , 2008 , police say Jose Sucuzhanay and his brother Romel had left a party at a church and were embracing each other to keep warm in the cold when Scott and another man approached them in a car in Brooklyn 's Bushwick section , about a block from the brothers ' home . Police say the two assailants shouted antigay and anti-Latino vulgarities and attacked the brothers . Scott first assaulted Jose with a beer bottle before chasing after Romel , police said . The second assailant proceeded to `` savagely beat Jose about his ribs , shoulders , '' head and back with an aluminum bat , according to Kelly . Jose Sucuzhanay , 31 , died of his injuries in December hours before his mother arrived in New York from Ecuador . Romel Sucuzhanay , 34 , suffered minor scrapes . Police were able to identify two suspects after inferring that they had crossed the Triborough Bridge in the course of their flight from the crime scene . They interviewed bridge toll booth employees and combed through videotape of cars passing through cash-only lanes on the bridge . Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes said the incident should send a message that antigay violence endangers straights and gays alike . `` If there was ever a message to the people of this city or anywhere as to why heterosexuals have to stand up and not permit this type of violence ... it is this case , '' Hynes said .
Muhammad Ali , 21 , charged with 2nd degree murder in New York case . Second suspect sought in beating of Jose and Michael Sucuzhanay . Brothers were hugging to keep warm ; one made antigay remarks .