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Arrest made in attacks on transgender woman in LA
Authorities continue to search for three more suspects in what they're investigating as hate crimes.
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LOS ANGELES – An arrest has been made in connection with a series of hate crime attacks on a transgender woman in Los Angeles, and the search continues for two more suspects, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Arrest made
What we know:
During a press conference on Tuesday, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell announced that significant resources are being dedicated to finding the individuals responsible for repeatedly attacking 61-year-old Sabrina De La Peña in the Westlake District.
"Our heart goes out to her with what she’s been through," said McDonnell.
"We take these crimes very seriously. We have a lot of resources focused on taking these individuals into custody and holding them accountable for what they’ve done."
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Transgender woman violently attacked for 6th time, allegedly by same suspects: LAPD
Samuel Parros was identified and arrested by Rampart Detectives on May 27, before the latest attack occurred. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, not a firearm, with great bodily injury. He remains in custody with bail set at $10,000.
Detectives with LAPD’s Rampart Division Robbery Section continue working to identify the remaining suspects.
Repeated attacks at woman's store
The backstory:
The series of incidents began on April 8 when a suspect allegedly entered the victim's store, flirted with her, and then punched her to the ground after she rejected his advances. After discovering she was a transgender woman, he allegedly sexually assaulted her and threatened to kill her.
She was reportedly attacked six separate times by the same people.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Transgender store owner attacked in MacArthur Park
Subsequent attacks by the same suspect and additional individuals involved striking the victim with a skateboard, deploying pepper spray, throwing an unknown liquid, and attempting to stun her with a Taser.
The most recent assault occurred around 11:40 p.m. Saturday, May 31.
The victim reported that the suspects stole $30,000 from her, and she had suffered serious injuries in the series of attacks.
Ongoing investigation, search for remaining suspects
What they're saying:
Police Chief Jim McDonnell addressed the ongoing investigation, stating, "I think certainly anybody who is the victim of a crime certainly feels that they would like to see more being done, particularly those that are involved in a series of crimes as this individual has."
He added, "Our heart goes out to her for what she's been through with five incidents in the course of roughly a month. We take these crimes very seriously. We have a lot of resources focused on taking these individuals into custody and holding them accountable for what they've done."
SUGGESTED: Knife-wielding man threatens trans woman at LA gas station
What you can do:
The Los Angeles Police Department is urging anyone with additional information regarding these crimes to come forward.
Detectives can be reached at 213-484-3495. For calls during non-business hours or weekends, the number is 877-527-3247.
Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.
The Source: Information for this story is from the Los Angeles Police Department and previous FOX 11 reports.