Authorities have arrested four people, including three teenagers, in connection with a violent hate crime attack that left a transgender woman hospitalized earlier this week.
Police say the group targeted the 39-year-old victim with slurs before chasing her near a transit center in Renton on Monday evening. She was knocked to the ground, beaten, and choked while pleading for her life.
“They chased her, knocked her to the ground, and repeatedly assaulted her,” Renton police confirmed in a statement.
Court documents obtained by ABC describe the incident as escalating after the woman told the suspects to stop “harassing” others at the transit hub. Video evidence allegedly shows the group punching and kicking her in the head and upper body, even as she lay on the pavement.
Two teenage brothers, aged 15 and 17, were apprehended near the scene shortly after the attack. A third boy, 16, was arrested Thursday, while the fourth suspect – 25-year-old Ramodre Edwards – turned himself in after his image was circulated on social media and recognized by a family member according to law enforcement authorities.
King County prosecutors charged the brothers with assault, strangulation, great bodily harm, and a hate crime. Both pleaded not guilty and were placed on electronic home monitoring.
The third teen is under electronic home detention as prosecutors weigh charges. Edwards, held on $300,000 bail, awaits a charging decision alongside the third suspect, expected on September 23.
The case has drawn sharp attention in Washington, where LGBTQ+ advocates have long warned of rising hate-fueled violence. Local Crime Stoppers said a family member played a role in identifying Edwards, urging him to surrender.
If convicted, the suspects face serious penalties under Washington’s hate crime statutes, which carry enhanced sentencing for bias-motivated attacks.
