BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — An Oregon man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison plus three years of supervised release for attempting to run over three people with his car last year in Boise.
Matthew Lehigh began targeting people he believed were part of the LGBTQ community over a week-long crime spree around Boise in October 2022.
According to court records, on October 8, 2022, Lehigh approached a transgender library employee at the downtown library main branch, called her a slur, punched her, and threatened to stab her. A security officer on duty intervened and Lehigh fled to his vehicle. Security pursued him to his vehicle and attempted to speak with him, but Lehigh hit the gas and accelerated towards the guard attempting to hit him. Fortunately the guard was able to dive to safety in time.
Four days later, Lehigh saw two women walking together towards their vehicle. He assumed the two were a lesbian couple and began shouting threats and slurs at them before accelerating his vehicle again in an attempt to hit the women. They too were able to jump out of the way, and Lehigh's vehicle struck another parked vehicle at a high rate of speed.
Lehigh pleaded guilty to a felony count of violating the Hate Crimes prevention Act, and to a second felony violation for the vehicular assault on the two women. Lehigh also admitted to setting fire to a rainbow "pride" flag at a house in North Boise, breaking several windows at a commercial building jointly occupied by LGBTQ organization, and to punching at least one other store customer after calling him a slur.
Lehigh will spend the next three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
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