Big Picture

Miley Cyrus Grabs Lunch Plus, Daniel Radcliffe works his magic and Bruce Jenner blasts to the past. Get the latest pics!

MORE PHOTOS +

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

Fashion Police

Michelle's Major Moment! Plus, Blake Lively and Salma Hayek. Rate the highs and lows!

MORE PHOTOS +

Top Galleries

MORE PHOTOS +

Our Partners

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

Homeless Man Busted in Top Chef Attack

Fri., Sep. 14, 2007 9:06 AM PDT by Gina Serpe

A homeless man has been arrested and charged in New York for his role in an antigay attack on Top Chef season two contestant Josie Smith-Malave earlier this month.

Matthew W. Walli was busted by Nassau County police Wednesday afternoon and charged with robbery as a bias crime, for being one of 12 people who allegedly surrounded, spat on and assaulted the reality star and two of her friends at a Long Island bar over Labor Day weekend.

The 20-year-old's robbery charge stems from his having stolen a video camera from one of the three women during the attack, which purportedly resulted in her falling over and hurting her knee.

Police have not disclosed how they located Walli, though he is the only member of the dozen alleged attackers who has been fingered in the incident. NCPD officials said they will continue to investigate.

According to police, Walli is originally from Oregon but has been homeless since moving to New York. He is currently being held in county jail and was due to be arraigned Thursday afternoon.

If convicted of the bias charges, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

The incident took place on Sept. 1, when the openly gay 32-year-old Smith-Malave, a friend and her straight sister were celebrating a birthday at Partners Bar in Sea Cliff, New York. After two of the women began dancing together, they were asked to leave the premises and obliged.

The trio was followed on the way out by several bar patrons and soon was surrounded. The group of about 12 began yelling derogatory homophobic slurs at the women, before spitting on them and beating them up, police and witnesses said.

In addition to knee injury suffered by one of the women when her camera was stolen, another suffered an injury to the head, and all three were badly bruised, according to Smith-Malave's attorney, Yetta Kurland.

Prior to her flirtation with reality-TV stardom, Smith-Malave served as sous chef at Brooklyn's famed Marlow and Sons restaurant. She was the fourth wannabe eliminated on Top Chef's second season.