Florida: Man charged with attempted murder of lesbians and kids

Braulio Valenzuela reportedly confessed he didn’t like seeing the couple kiss

A Florida man faces 10 counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of arson after allegedly attempting to burn down the home of a lesbian couple and their eight children.

LaTania Dansey and her girlfriend, Norma, escaped the fire unhurt with their children but say the incident has left them rattled.

A WSVN report says Miami-Dade police believe Braulio Valenzuela, 73, a neighbour, allegedly intended to burn the home because of the women’s sexual orientation. Valenzuela, who is in jail, has not admitted to causing the fire but reportedly confessed that he didn’t like seeing the two women kiss and didn’t think they should have children.

The report says security cameras show Valenzuela heading behind the family’s trailer and a fire starting shortly after.

Natasha Barsotti is originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. She had high aspirations of representing her country in Olympic Games sprint events, but after a while the firing of the starting gun proved too much for her nerves. So she went off to university instead. Her first professional love has always been journalism. After pursuing a Master of Journalism at UBC , she began freelancing at Xtra West — now Xtra Vancouver — in 2006, becoming a full-time reporter there in 2008.

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