New York City police have appealed to the public for help in searching for a pair of men who kidnapped a transgender woman and held her at gunpoint.
GayCityNews reports that the attack occurred on November 19. The 30-year-old victim–who remains unnamed to protect her identity–makes a living as a sex worker. She approached an SUV parked in the Bronx where a man offered her work if she would meet a man at a nearby hotel. As the woman entered the vehicle, however, she was confronted by a man she knew, who held her at gunpoint.
Related: Did ICE destroy evidence of wrongdoing in the death of a transgender woman?
The two men interrogated the woman, accusing her of sending text messages to the armed man’s wife. The two attackers bound her with zip ties and stole her phone, attempting to review her text message log. Thus began a terrifying ride to Yonkers, as the two men sought out a cellular store that would override the woman’s cellphone security lock.
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Lucky for her, she managed to escape and call for help. The two men fled the scene. Police have released photographs of the two assailants, though their identities remain unclear. The NYPD has also asked that anyone who recognizes either of the men or has any information about the crime to please contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers.
Attacks on transgender women–particularly transgender women of color–have skyrocketed in the past few years. CNN reported that at least 22 transgender American women had been killed by November 2019. That number is likely higher, as many attacks go unreported, and police often misclassify the attacks as violence against men.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
They had you, a sex worker, tied up with zip ties as they held you at gunpoint while driving around trying to find a cell phone store that would unlock your phone? You bought drugs from one of the guys and had to have contacted him some how but yet there is no mention of a phone number for him that could lead to his identity? The picture of the two attackers, one whom to me appears to have gone overboard in hiding his face (the one coming out of the door) and the other resembles a trans woman out for a regular stroll down the street more than a man out to kidnap some one really raises my eyebrow. I know how callous this sounds but I just DON’T believe one word of “her” version of what happened. Not one word. Men who sell drugs and pull guns during kidnappings generally are the type who would have found it easier to simply beat the code out of you. You managed to free yourself from the zip ties (I assume hands and feet), open the door and escape from the vehicle? Ok, I know how intrusive this sounds but was the vehicle stopped or was it still rolling? Where were BOTH of the guys, especially the one with the gun? The problem here is I read about this yesterday in the NYDailyNews.com and didn’t believe it then either. I think this person has some serious issues and the lies she is telling has a lot to do with why I look at every story along this line involving gay men with extreme scrutiny. I’ll bet before the holiday season is over there are at least two more questionable incidents such as this.