Wolfman1982
people are hard to please
- Joined
- May 26, 2005
- Posts
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http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2009/08/02/news/local/doc4a7515f1990e9882902543.txt
Suspect denied involvement when questioned.
By ANTHONY A. MESTAS
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
TRINIDAD - Police are investigating the alleged rape and attempted murder of a transsexual man visiting Trinidad for a sex-change pre-operation procedure.
The man labeled as a person of interest in the alleged offense has been identified as Marcus Lee Watlington. The report obtained by The Pueblo Chieftain did not state where he is from or his age.
Watlington was interviewed by police and denied all involvement in the assault.
The police department is waiting for results from a rape kit that was sent to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. A male suspect sexual assault kit also has been sent to CBI.
District Attorney Frank Ruybalid said, as of Friday, there had not been an arrest. According to a police report, on July 16 the police department received a 911 call regarding a female party that was found in a room at the Trinidad Motor Inn bound at the feet and hands with a telephone cord, not clothed and injured.
Upon arrival detectives discovered that the victim, who was hearing impaired, also had been sexually assaulted with a wooden coat hanger.
The victim, who according to reports, was from California but had spent some time in Washington state, had been residing at the hotel during a stay in Trinidad.
The report stated that the victim, 25, had an appointment with a local doctor about a transgender surgery on July 15.
The victim had gone to the motel's lobby at about 9 p.m. on July 15 to use one of its computers. According to the report, it was there that the suspect entered the scene.
The suspect was described by the victim as being a short black man with short hair containing red and blond highlights. The suspect said he was from Pennsylvania.
Police Chief Charles Glorioso told a Trinidad newspaper that the victim "described him to a ‘T.' ''
Glorioso could not be reached for comment Saturday.
According to the report, police, using a sign-language interpreter, gathered statements from the victim.
According to the report, the suspect attempted to talk to the victim in the hotel lobby. After leaving to go back to her room, the victim said that the man from the lobby knocked on her door.
The report stated that the suspect was very adamant about wanting to come into the room and was "eyeballing" the victim’s body, up and down. The victim refused to allow him in and said that the suspect left. The victim then went to bed.
A short time later, the victim said, the suspect knocked at the door again before forcing his way in. He then allegedly forced the victim onto the bed.
The report stated that the suspect directed pejorative terms for homosexuals at the victim, forced the performance of sexual acts upon him and sexually assaulted the victim with a coat hanger.
The report stated that the suspect then dragged the victim into the bathroom, filled up the bathtub and attempted to drown the victim. The suspect also allegedly grabbed a hair dryer in the bathroom and plunged it into the bathtub with the victim, in an apparent attempt at electrocution.
The electrical breaker, however, dislodged from the wall plug and foiled the attempt.
According to the report, the victim was then was allegedly dragged back to the bed where the suspect bound the victim's feet and hands together with a telephone cord. Before leaving, the suspect allegedly slapped the victim, using more epithets and said people like that should not come to Trinidad.
The victim was discovered late the following morning, still tied up, and was taken by ambulance to Mount San Rafael Hospital.
Based on evidence collected, the report stated that possible charges of false imprisonment and sexual assault can be filed.
a follow up:
http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2009/08/10/news/local/doc4a7fa1e40a69d874633543.txt
Violence against transgenders rare in Trinidad
DA: The reported attack seems to be bias-motivated.
By ANTHONY A. MESTAS
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
TRINIDAD - The brutal sexual assault and attempted murder of a transgender person by a man at a local motel last month is not something that happens too frequently in this small town.
The town, which has been dubbed the "sex change capital of the world," has been abuzz with recent reports of the alleged crime.
According to a police report, on July 16 a transgender woman was found in a room at the Trinidad Motor Inn bound at the feet and hands with a telephone cord, not clothed and injured. The victim told police the suspect forced his way into the victim's room.
The report stated that the suspect directed pejorative terms for gay people at the victim and sexually assaulted the victim with a coat hanger. The report stated that the suspect also attempted to drown the victim in a bathtub.
Failing at that, the suspect also allegedly grabbed a hair dryer in the bathroom and plunged it into the bathtub with the victim, in an apparent but failed attempt at electrocution. Police, who have identified a person of interest in the case, have not made an arrest. District Attorney Frank Ruybalid said Friday that only one other crime against a transgender person has occurred, in his memory, during his two terms as district attorney.
Ruybalid, who first served as district attorney from 2002 to 2005 and was re-elected in 2008, said the other alleged offense came to his desk in his first term.
"It was not as serious as this latest one," he said. "There was no injury to the victim. However, there was certainly an attempt."
Ruybalid said he can't say that crimes against transgender people is uncommon
in Trinidad, because there is nothing to gauge it against. Ruybalid said that the town probably has a larger transgender population than just about any place of its size.
"I suppose in some very large cities there's a lot of transgender people, but for a town the size of Trinidad it's uncommon to have so many transgender people passing through town and living here," Ruybalid said.
"So it's very difficult to gauge. I know there are some perpetrators that are very aggressive toward transgender people.
"They probably have a lot of animosity because of their (transgender people's) sexual orientation and the fact that they are a transgender person."
Ruybalid said nothing in recent history compares to the brutality of this latest case.
"This is the most serious (crime against a transgender person) that I have seen and definitely the most brutal," he said.
Las Animas County Sheriff Jim Casias said he does not remember the last time a crime was committed against a transgender person that his office had to investigate.
Ruybalid said that he doesn't recall many cases where transgender people have claimed to be mistreated.
"My sense is that most of the locals here in Trinidad are pretty tolerant. They may or may not agree with the transgender surgeries, but I think a lot of people are tolerant and some accept it," he said.
Ruybalid said that the late Dr. Stanley H. Biber, a physician who was a pioneer in transition operation, provided great services to many people.
"He had a lot of patients in several different areas of medicine, and he was a very good doctor and well respected," Ruybalid said.
Ruybalid said that Dr. Marci L. Bowers, a gynecologist who currently operates a surgical practice in Trinidad and also is viewed as a pioneer in the field, being the first transgender woman to be performing the surgery, is starting to gain acceptance in the community.
The victim in last month's assault had visited Bowers' office prior to being attacked.
Steve Yoon, manager of the Trinidad Motor Inn where the alleged assault took place, said Friday that he has never heard any complaints by transgender people about mistreatment by other guests. When asked if any kind of crimes like that had happened at his motel before, he said, "No."
Yoon would not comment any further.
Crystal Middlestadt, director of training and education for the Colorado Anti-Violence Program in Denver, said that too often attacks on transgender people go unreported to law enforcement and in the media.
"Fear is a huge factor, especially when we talk about reporting to law enforcement specifically," Middlestadt said.
She said when victims of crime call to report an incident, sometimes the response is courteous, but sometimes it goes bad.
"There are sometimes cases when a responding officer uses slurs. There's sometimes a case of physical abuse as well. We see that in Colorado and in other parts of the country," Middlestadt said.
Middlestadt said that the Colorado Anti-Violence Program is dedicated to eliminating violence within and against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, as well as ensuring the highest quality services are provided to survivors.
"The most common types of violence we work with are hate crimes and partner abuse. We also have cases that involve random violence, sexual assault, police abuse, and HIV-motivated violence," she said.
Middlestadt said that the alleged rape in Trinidad seems to be hate-motivated.
"Based on the police report (as stated in The Pueblo Chieftain), it is extremely likely that this attack was motivated by bias against gay and transgender people," she said.
Middlestadt said slurs and the use of extreme and brutal violence are strong indicators that this was a bias-motivated crime.
"Hate crimes are unique in that they impact the entire community and are meant to send a message that none of us is safe," Meddlestadt said.
"Unfortunately, this kind of violence is still commonplace. Transgender women continue to be targeted with some of the most brutal attacks, including murder," Middlestadt said.
Middlestadt said in 2008 in Colorado, the Colorado Anti-Violence Program documented at least 131 victims of anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender violence, including a Latina transgender teenager slain in Greeley in July 2008.
"Nationally, we have identified disturbing increases in reports of sexual assaults motivated by anti-LGBT bias, severity of injuries and use of weapons," Middlestadt said.
Middlestadt said according to the 2008 Anti-LGBT Hate Violence Report published by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, sexual assaults motivated by bias rose 48 percent from 2007 to 2008, continuing a three year trend of marked increases in such reports.
"Fear, misunderstanding or hate of LGBT people does not justify violence under any circumstances. People that commit acts of hate violence are responsible for their actions.
"No one deserves to be hurt or murdered because someone holds bias against them or a group they belong to," she said.
Ruybalid said his view of state law does indicate that there is a sentence enhancer for committing a violent offense against another person that is motivated by animosity toward their sexual orientation.
"That may cover a situation like this. I don't want to convict the suspect before anything goes to court, and I don't want to seem like I am rushing to this.
"Just generally from what I have read, his motivation is in fact animosity against the victim because of her transgender status. That would fall within the statute of a hate crime," Ruybalid said.
Anyone who has experienced hate violence can report it to the Colorado Anti-Violence Program at 888-557-4441.
and this news I got from an email from a member here.
Suspect denied involvement when questioned.
By ANTHONY A. MESTAS
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
TRINIDAD - Police are investigating the alleged rape and attempted murder of a transsexual man visiting Trinidad for a sex-change pre-operation procedure.
The man labeled as a person of interest in the alleged offense has been identified as Marcus Lee Watlington. The report obtained by The Pueblo Chieftain did not state where he is from or his age.
Watlington was interviewed by police and denied all involvement in the assault.
The police department is waiting for results from a rape kit that was sent to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. A male suspect sexual assault kit also has been sent to CBI.
District Attorney Frank Ruybalid said, as of Friday, there had not been an arrest. According to a police report, on July 16 the police department received a 911 call regarding a female party that was found in a room at the Trinidad Motor Inn bound at the feet and hands with a telephone cord, not clothed and injured.
Upon arrival detectives discovered that the victim, who was hearing impaired, also had been sexually assaulted with a wooden coat hanger.
The victim, who according to reports, was from California but had spent some time in Washington state, had been residing at the hotel during a stay in Trinidad.
The report stated that the victim, 25, had an appointment with a local doctor about a transgender surgery on July 15.
The victim had gone to the motel's lobby at about 9 p.m. on July 15 to use one of its computers. According to the report, it was there that the suspect entered the scene.
The suspect was described by the victim as being a short black man with short hair containing red and blond highlights. The suspect said he was from Pennsylvania.
Police Chief Charles Glorioso told a Trinidad newspaper that the victim "described him to a ‘T.' ''
Glorioso could not be reached for comment Saturday.
According to the report, police, using a sign-language interpreter, gathered statements from the victim.
According to the report, the suspect attempted to talk to the victim in the hotel lobby. After leaving to go back to her room, the victim said that the man from the lobby knocked on her door.
The report stated that the suspect was very adamant about wanting to come into the room and was "eyeballing" the victim’s body, up and down. The victim refused to allow him in and said that the suspect left. The victim then went to bed.
A short time later, the victim said, the suspect knocked at the door again before forcing his way in. He then allegedly forced the victim onto the bed.
The report stated that the suspect directed pejorative terms for homosexuals at the victim, forced the performance of sexual acts upon him and sexually assaulted the victim with a coat hanger.
The report stated that the suspect then dragged the victim into the bathroom, filled up the bathtub and attempted to drown the victim. The suspect also allegedly grabbed a hair dryer in the bathroom and plunged it into the bathtub with the victim, in an apparent attempt at electrocution.
The electrical breaker, however, dislodged from the wall plug and foiled the attempt.
According to the report, the victim was then was allegedly dragged back to the bed where the suspect bound the victim's feet and hands together with a telephone cord. Before leaving, the suspect allegedly slapped the victim, using more epithets and said people like that should not come to Trinidad.
The victim was discovered late the following morning, still tied up, and was taken by ambulance to Mount San Rafael Hospital.
Based on evidence collected, the report stated that possible charges of false imprisonment and sexual assault can be filed.
a follow up:
http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2009/08/10/news/local/doc4a7fa1e40a69d874633543.txt
Violence against transgenders rare in Trinidad
DA: The reported attack seems to be bias-motivated.
By ANTHONY A. MESTAS
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
TRINIDAD - The brutal sexual assault and attempted murder of a transgender person by a man at a local motel last month is not something that happens too frequently in this small town.
The town, which has been dubbed the "sex change capital of the world," has been abuzz with recent reports of the alleged crime.
According to a police report, on July 16 a transgender woman was found in a room at the Trinidad Motor Inn bound at the feet and hands with a telephone cord, not clothed and injured. The victim told police the suspect forced his way into the victim's room.
The report stated that the suspect directed pejorative terms for gay people at the victim and sexually assaulted the victim with a coat hanger. The report stated that the suspect also attempted to drown the victim in a bathtub.
Failing at that, the suspect also allegedly grabbed a hair dryer in the bathroom and plunged it into the bathtub with the victim, in an apparent but failed attempt at electrocution. Police, who have identified a person of interest in the case, have not made an arrest. District Attorney Frank Ruybalid said Friday that only one other crime against a transgender person has occurred, in his memory, during his two terms as district attorney.
Ruybalid, who first served as district attorney from 2002 to 2005 and was re-elected in 2008, said the other alleged offense came to his desk in his first term.
"It was not as serious as this latest one," he said. "There was no injury to the victim. However, there was certainly an attempt."
Ruybalid said he can't say that crimes against transgender people is uncommon
in Trinidad, because there is nothing to gauge it against. Ruybalid said that the town probably has a larger transgender population than just about any place of its size.
"I suppose in some very large cities there's a lot of transgender people, but for a town the size of Trinidad it's uncommon to have so many transgender people passing through town and living here," Ruybalid said.
"So it's very difficult to gauge. I know there are some perpetrators that are very aggressive toward transgender people.
"They probably have a lot of animosity because of their (transgender people's) sexual orientation and the fact that they are a transgender person."
Ruybalid said nothing in recent history compares to the brutality of this latest case.
"This is the most serious (crime against a transgender person) that I have seen and definitely the most brutal," he said.
Las Animas County Sheriff Jim Casias said he does not remember the last time a crime was committed against a transgender person that his office had to investigate.
Ruybalid said that he doesn't recall many cases where transgender people have claimed to be mistreated.
"My sense is that most of the locals here in Trinidad are pretty tolerant. They may or may not agree with the transgender surgeries, but I think a lot of people are tolerant and some accept it," he said.
Ruybalid said that the late Dr. Stanley H. Biber, a physician who was a pioneer in transition operation, provided great services to many people.
"He had a lot of patients in several different areas of medicine, and he was a very good doctor and well respected," Ruybalid said.
Ruybalid said that Dr. Marci L. Bowers, a gynecologist who currently operates a surgical practice in Trinidad and also is viewed as a pioneer in the field, being the first transgender woman to be performing the surgery, is starting to gain acceptance in the community.
The victim in last month's assault had visited Bowers' office prior to being attacked.
Steve Yoon, manager of the Trinidad Motor Inn where the alleged assault took place, said Friday that he has never heard any complaints by transgender people about mistreatment by other guests. When asked if any kind of crimes like that had happened at his motel before, he said, "No."
Yoon would not comment any further.
Crystal Middlestadt, director of training and education for the Colorado Anti-Violence Program in Denver, said that too often attacks on transgender people go unreported to law enforcement and in the media.
"Fear is a huge factor, especially when we talk about reporting to law enforcement specifically," Middlestadt said.
She said when victims of crime call to report an incident, sometimes the response is courteous, but sometimes it goes bad.
"There are sometimes cases when a responding officer uses slurs. There's sometimes a case of physical abuse as well. We see that in Colorado and in other parts of the country," Middlestadt said.
Middlestadt said that the Colorado Anti-Violence Program is dedicated to eliminating violence within and against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, as well as ensuring the highest quality services are provided to survivors.
"The most common types of violence we work with are hate crimes and partner abuse. We also have cases that involve random violence, sexual assault, police abuse, and HIV-motivated violence," she said.
Middlestadt said that the alleged rape in Trinidad seems to be hate-motivated.
"Based on the police report (as stated in The Pueblo Chieftain), it is extremely likely that this attack was motivated by bias against gay and transgender people," she said.
Middlestadt said slurs and the use of extreme and brutal violence are strong indicators that this was a bias-motivated crime.
"Hate crimes are unique in that they impact the entire community and are meant to send a message that none of us is safe," Meddlestadt said.
"Unfortunately, this kind of violence is still commonplace. Transgender women continue to be targeted with some of the most brutal attacks, including murder," Middlestadt said.
Middlestadt said in 2008 in Colorado, the Colorado Anti-Violence Program documented at least 131 victims of anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender violence, including a Latina transgender teenager slain in Greeley in July 2008.
"Nationally, we have identified disturbing increases in reports of sexual assaults motivated by anti-LGBT bias, severity of injuries and use of weapons," Middlestadt said.
Middlestadt said according to the 2008 Anti-LGBT Hate Violence Report published by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, sexual assaults motivated by bias rose 48 percent from 2007 to 2008, continuing a three year trend of marked increases in such reports.
"Fear, misunderstanding or hate of LGBT people does not justify violence under any circumstances. People that commit acts of hate violence are responsible for their actions.
"No one deserves to be hurt or murdered because someone holds bias against them or a group they belong to," she said.
Ruybalid said his view of state law does indicate that there is a sentence enhancer for committing a violent offense against another person that is motivated by animosity toward their sexual orientation.
"That may cover a situation like this. I don't want to convict the suspect before anything goes to court, and I don't want to seem like I am rushing to this.
"Just generally from what I have read, his motivation is in fact animosity against the victim because of her transgender status. That would fall within the statute of a hate crime," Ruybalid said.
Anyone who has experienced hate violence can report it to the Colorado Anti-Violence Program at 888-557-4441.
and this news I got from an email from a member here.
