Just when you thought it was safe to work in the US

Five suburban teenagers lured two immigrant day laborers by promising them jobs, then beat the men with pipes, sticks and fists and stole their money, authorities said.

The teens spent the money, about $570, at restaurants and stores, said Jeff Lance, assistant police chief in Canton, about 35 miles northeast of Atlanta.

``It was just taking advantage of the weak -- the big kid on the block syndrome,'' Lance said Thursday. ``It appears it was for run-around money.''

The suspects are white and the victims Hispanic, but Lance said the attacks were not considered hate crimes.

Okay, strictly speaking it might not be a hate crime. But you'd have to be pretty naive not to believe that the fact that the workers were Hispanic had nothing to do with it.