Man learns woman who rejected him is trans, repeatedly assaults her, CA cops say
The search is on for a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman, then repeatedly attacking her after learning she was transgender, California police say.
A 61-year-old woman was inside her Westlake store April 8 when a man entered and “began to flirt with her,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in an April 28 news release.
After she dismissed his advances, the man left the store, police said.
However, he soon returned, shoved her to the ground and sexually assaulted her, according to police.
Upon learning “she was a transgender woman,” the man stepped back and threatened to kill her, police said.
The same man returned to the woman’s store on multiple occasions with additional people and “committed hate crimes against” her, police said.
The man is accused of using a skateboard to hit the woman in one incident and pepper-spraying her in another, police said.
In the most recent incident, the man “threw an unknown liquid” toward the woman as another person tried to stun her with a Taser, according to police.
Police said they are looking to identify the three suspects and believe there may be additional victims.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 213-484-3495.
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 7:48 AM.
