The Mavericks say band member assaulted in Franklin reportedly for speaking Spanish
A member of Latin country-rock band The Mavericks says he was assaulted over the weekend for speaking Spanish.
Trumpet player Lorenzo Molina Ruiz posted online that he and his friend Orlando Morales were at sports bar when they were attacked. Police said the assault occurred at Tony's Eat & Drink in Franklin overnight Saturday.
Ruiz posted on a GoFundMe started for Morales, a fellow musician, that the assault was sparked because the pair was speaking Spanish. So far, the fundraiser has reached $12,100.
"We didn’t do anything to anybody and got beaten up badly," Ruiz wrote on the GoFundMe profile. "My friend is in bad shape. Any support would help while we proceed with getting justice for this hate crime."
The Franklin Police Department did not respond to questions about whether the assault was being investigated as a hate crime.
"The case is currently classified as an aggravated assault, which is a felony," FPD public information officer Lt. Charles Warner said. "It has been assigned to a detective, and an investigation is under way."
On Tuesday afternoon, police released suspect photos, asking the public to help identify two men. By Wednesday, the department said the men had come forward to be interviewed.
Detectives will provide information about the case to the district attorney, who will help determine charges. Police asked witnesses to the fight or events leading up to it to come forward to clear up conflicting information about what occurred.
The Mavericks, an award-winning Nashville-based outfit known for fusing neotraditional country with influences from modern Americana and Latin music, released a new studio album, “En Español,” in August. Raul Malo is the group's vocalist and guitarist.
The record marked the first entirely Spanish-spoken release from the group. It debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Album Chart — the first album in Billboard history to debut in the top 10 on Latin and Americana charts.
Tuesday night, the band leads a tribute to Linda Ronstadt at the annual Hispanic Heritage Awards. The pre-taped appearance airs on PBS.
"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 & Drink restaurant is located in Cool Springs off Meridian Boulevard.
The restaurant posted on social media that it was working with the police investigation.
"We would like to send our deepest condolences to the individuals affected by the altercation that occurred," management wrote in a statement. "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."
The Mavericks were founded in Miami more than three decades ago, and their 1995 song “Here Comes The Rain” won a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group. The group won back-to-back Vocal Group of the Year trophies at the CMA Awards in 1995 and 1996.
Ruiz, who is from Cuba, joined The Mavericks in August 2017. He is one of the "Fantastic Five," sidemen to the core Mavericks lineup.
Natalie Alund contributed to this report.
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Emily West and Matthew Leimkuehler are reporters for The Tennessean.