Watch: Decatur Police Arrest 19-Year-Old in Pipe Wrench Beating of Gay Neighbor

Decatur police seemingly arrived just in time to prevent the murder of a 60-year-old gay man by his pipe wrench-wielding 19-year-old neighbor: The assailant was starting to choke the victim after beating him severely with the wrench when police "forced their way inside" the home, local ABC affiliate News Channel 20 reports.

Local newspaper the Herald & Review detailed the chilling diatribe to which the youthful perpetrator, identified as Ethan J. Dickerson, allegedly subjected the victim as he carried out the brutal assault.

"You know why I have to do this," Dickerson reportedly said as he was beating his neighbor with the wrench. "You're gay."

Dickerson had bound the neighbor to a chair with duct tape, reports said, after breaking into the house at about 5:30 p.n. and striking the victim as he came to investigate the sound of a window being smashed.

"You're evil," Dickerson reportedly said as the vicious attack continued. "I'm going to kill you."

The ordeal continued until Dickerson stepped out of the room for a moment. The victim managed to free himself, but Dickerson attacked again before he could flee the house, and began using the wrench to choke him.

Someone in the neighborhood had called in a report about the perpetrator smashing the window, and fortunately, officer arrived just as Dickerson was starting to choke his victim. Hearing the victim's cries for help, the officers entered the house. Dickerson, drenched in his victim's blood, surrendered, news accounts said.

"Police found the victim in the kitchen with multiple lacerations on the head and a 'significant' amount of blood loss," NBC News detailed. "The victim was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries that required stitches."

The community rejected the horrifying home invasion and assault, local news outlet WAND reported.

At a rally to show support for the victim and to denounce the homophobic hatred that seemingly motivated it, residents "shared how hearing about the crime impacted them," WANT reported. "Their message is they will not stand for this."

"I have a message to the attacker and every other aggressor who has committed a hate crime like this: You are not welcome here," Decatur LGBTQ+ equality advocate August Reed declared.

"You are not welcome here at all. No amount of hatred will erase us. No amount of violence will force us back into the closet."

To WAND, Reed disclosed how, when he first came out, he heard concern "that something like this would happen to me.

"And how this easily could have been me or my husband or my family or my friends," Reed added.

"Dickerson faced preliminary charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated unlawful restraint, home invasion, and a hate crime," NBC News relayed. "The charges will be reviewed by the state's attorney's office."

Dickerson will be arraigned in March, WAND reported.

To watch the WAND video, follow this link.