Shannon Fiecke of the Shakopee Valley news reports:

SHAKOPEE -- Contrary to public assumptions, the father who was beaten by a group of young men at Valleyfair over the July 4 weekend was not white.

The victim was black, just like the suspects.

Although this information was available to anyone who asked, with his office being inundated with questions as to why the case wasn’t prosecuted as a hate crime, Scott County Attorney Pat Ciliberto reached out to the media last week to put the issue to rest.

The following are Scott County District Court felony and gross-misdemeanor dispositions. Defendants either pleaded guilty or were found guilty by the court unless otherwise indicated.

Gerardo Hernandez-Sanchez, 33, Shakopee, obstruction of legal process, a gross-misdemeanor. Two years’ probation, 20 hours of community service, evaluation, anger-management counseling, $305 in fines. Fifth-degree assault, a misdemeanor. Adjudication stayed: One year probation.