Mavericks trumpet player Lorenzo Molina Ruiz and friend Orlando Morales were allegedly assaulted in a Tennessee bar on Sunday, Oct. 4.
According to Betty Malo, the wife of Mavericks lead singer Raul Malo, Ruiz and Morales were assaulted by two men after they were overheard speaking Spanish.
Betty Malo said the incident occurred at Tony's Eat and Drink in Cool Springs, Tennessee when Ruiz and Morales were waiting in line to use the bathroom.
"Late Saturday night/Sunday morning @molinalorenzo and his friend were jumped and brutally beaten while waiting in line to use the bathroom. Their friends who were waiting at the table were approached by 2 men and said "Speak F—-ing English. You're in America". The bar TONY'S EAT AND DRINK located in Cool Springs, TN did nothing about it. They actually kicked Lorenzo out and his friend. They begged for help or at least for the bar to call the police but the bouncers refused and threaten to beat their asses if they didn't leave," Malo wrote. "Lorenzo is fine but his friend Orlando is horrifically hurt. He has a broken nose, orbital bones, internal bleeding, and concussion. They filed a police report but it still has not been posted on line. We retained an attorney and will proceed forward trying to hold the group of racist individuals accountable! Tony's Eat and Drink are complicit too. Shame on you. We will be setting up a #gofundme account for both Lorenzo and Orlando. I'm terrified! @the_mavericks just put out a Latin record! Is @raulmalo01 going to get beat up for singing in Spanish? Will the venue let the assailants get away with it? Ugh! This sucks!"
Lead singer Raul Malo released a statement about the incident on Oct. 6.
"For this assault to occur as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with our own performance (featuring Lorenzo) tonight on the Hispanic Heritage Awards, shows that although we've come a long way, we still have a long way to go," Malo said in a statement on behalf of The Mavericks. "America is better than this."
Tony's Eat and Drink shared a statement about the incident on social media.
"We would like to send our deepest condolences to the individuals affected by the altercation that occurred," the post reads. "We want to be clear that we do not support racism or condone hate crimes at our establishment and are taking this matter seriously. We do not nor have we ever allowed for violence to perpetuate for any reason and in this specific instance, our security staff acted quickly and reasonably to bring the altercation to an end. Our patrons safety is extremely important to us and we work very hard to maintain a safe environment for everyone."
The Franklin Police Department is offering a cash reward for info on two men in photos from the beating.
Cash reward for info on the 2 men in these photos taken during the brutal beating of a man in a N. Carothers bar Sunday morning | https://t.co/x5uWibjGRs pic.twitter.com/I5SjfhZdSr
— Franklin Police Dept (@FranklinTNPD) October 6, 2020
A GoFundMe has been created for Morales, who is also a musician.
"My friend Orlando and I were just brutally attacked at a sports bar because we speak in Spanish," Ruiz wrote on the GoFundMe page. "We didn't do anything to anybody and got beaten up badly. My friend is in bad shape. Any support would help while we proceed with getting justice for this hate crime."
The Miami-founded band the Mavericks won a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group for their 1995 song "Here Comes the Rain." The band is known for "What A Crying Shame," "All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down," "Dance the Night Away" and many more songs. The group won Vocal Group of the Year at the 1995 and 1996 CMA Awards.
The Mavericks' latest album, En Espanol, is their first to be sung entirely in Spanish.
