Transgender Woman Attacked in Westlake District Hate Crime

Brutal Attack and Threats

• 🎯 A 61-year-old transgender woman, Sabina De La Pena, was brutally attacked and threatened with death by a man in her convenience store.
• 😠 The incident began when the man became irate after De La Pena asked him to leave the store.
• 🛹 The attacker returned the next night with an accomplice and beat her with a skateboard.

Escalating Harassment

• ⚡ Since the initial assault, the aggressors have returned twice more, once armed with pepper spray and another time with a taser.
• 🗣️ The assailants have been continually antagonizing De La Pena and her place of business.

Investigation and Community Appeal

• 🔍 The man captured in still images has not been found, and detectives have had no success with facial recognition software.
• 📢 De La Pena is appealing to the community for help in identifying and catching her assailants.

Impact on Safety and Business

• 🏳️ De La Pena believes she was targeted because she is transgender.
• 😟 After 30 years of feeling safe, the brutal beating has left her feeling unsafe and fearful of the attackers returning.
• 🚓 LAPD has stepped up patrols outside her store since the initial attack on April 8th.