Transgender women are attacked on Hollywood Boulevard in vdeo

A hate crime suspect is being sort by police in Los Angeles after a disturbing viral video documented him attacking and robbing three transgender women as a number of bystanders tormented the victims. 

The sickening attack took place on Hollywood Blvd. just after 2am on Monday morning, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The three women, social media influencers Eden Estrada, Joslyn Allen and Jaslene Busanet say they were waiting for an Uber when a man approached them and stole Eden’s phone. 

After the women attempted to get the phone back, a crowd of bystanders converged around them and the frightening situation took a more violent turn. 

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A hate crime suspect is being sort by police in Los Angeles after a disturbing viral video documented him attacking and robbing three transgender women as a number of bystanders tormented the victims.

The suspect is described as 25-year-old black man, 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black tank top and black shorts

A hate crime suspect is being sort by police in Los Angeles after a disturbing viral video documented him attacking and robbing three transgender women as a number of bystanders tormented the victims

The three women, social media influencers Eden Estrada (center), Joslyn Allen (right) and Jaslene Busanet (left) say they were waiting for an Uber when a man approached them and stole Eden¿s phone

The three women, social media influencers Eden Estrada (center), Joslyn Allen (right) and Jaslene Busanet (left) say they were waiting for an Uber when a man approached them and stole Eden’s phone

According to the women, the suspect had been harassing them earlier in the night, approaching them inside of a store and offering to buy them some items, but suddenly refusing to pay at the checkout. 

They say the crowd urged their attacker on, even shouting transphobic slurs and throwing rocks at them as the violent scene unfolded. 

The women say they attempted to run away from the scene but were chased down by the suspect and at least two other men.

In the footage, when the suspect catches up to them, he strikes Busanet in the head, knocking her to the ground and stealing her purse.

Allen then hands her bag to a bystander told hold while she attempts to chase the suspect down. Allen, who is reportedly recovering from hip surgery, is heard being mocked by the men she handed the bag to, who laugh ‘why is she running like that.’

Allen catches up to the suspect, who turns around and appears to throw an object toward her face, knocking her to the ground in the middle of the road.

The bystanders in possession of her bag then run away with it laughing, as Allen lay helpless on the floor.

The man she handed the bag to is then seen lifting up a near-by bicycle above his head and throwing it towards the direction of Eden, narrowly missing her.

According to the women, the suspect (seen in a black vest) had been harassing them earlier in the night, approaching them inside of a store and offering to buy them some items, but suddenly refusing to pay at the checkout

According to the women, the suspect (seen in a black vest) had been harassing them earlier in the night, approaching them inside of a store and offering to buy them some items, but suddenly refusing to pay at the checkout

The women say they attempted to run away from the scene but were chased down by the suspect and at least two other men

In the footage, when the suspect catches up to them, he strikes Busanet in the head, knocking her to the ground and stealing her purse

The women say they attempted to run away from the scene but were chased down by the suspect and at least two other men. In the footage, when the suspect catches up to them, he strikes Busanet (seen left in a black dress) in the head, knocking her to the ground and stealing her purse

The man torments Allen, who attempts to get the bag back from him, to no avail

The man torments Allen, who attempts to get the bag back from him, to no avail

Allen then hands her bag to a bystander told hold while she attempts to chase the suspect down. Allen, who is reportedly recovering from hip surgery, is heard being mocked by the men she handed the bag to, who laugh ¿why is she running like that.

The same man is later filmed throwing a bike at one of the women

Allen then hands her bag to a bystander (seen right) told hold while she attempts to chase the suspect down. The same man is later filmed throwing a bike at one of the women

Allen catches up to the suspect, who turns around and appears to throw an object toward her face, knocking her to the ground in the middle of the road

Allen catches up to the suspect, who turns around and appears to throw an object toward her face, knocking her to the ground in the middle of the road

The suspect then reportedly re-emerged on the scene with a metal bar and demanded that Allen hand him her shoes and bracelet. Allen say she complied out of fear, when the man then grabbed her by the hand and made her walk down the street with him.

‘He held a crow bar to my face and threatened to kill me unless I stripped my shoes off and gave him my jewelry and all my processions,’ Allen wrote on Instagram.

‘He said if i was trans he would kill me,’ she continued. ‘He then forced me to hold his hand while he looks for my friends to kill them for being trans.’

The footage then cuts to Eden and Busanet who are seen pleading with one of the bystanders to give Eden’s phone back, after he claimed to be in possession of it.

¿He said if i was trans he would kill me,¿ Allen said of the suspect. ¿He then forced me to hold his hand while he looks for my friends to kill them for being trans.¿

‘He said if i was trans he would kill me,’ Allen said of the suspect. ‘He then forced me to hold his hand while he looks for my friends to kill them for being trans.’

The man demands he pay her $80 to get the device back, though it’s unclear if he actually had it.

While the negotiations continue, the suspect is seen running into frame, and striking Busanet over the head with a bottle, knocking her unconscious.

The suspect then flees the scene, as bystanders laugh at Busanet, joking that she is ‘dead on the floor’, while laughing off Eden’s desperate cries to call 911.

Amid the commotion, a police car blaring sirens arrives on scene. The vehicle slows down momentarily before driving away.

In the meantime, the bystanders are seen re-watching the moment Busanet was struck in the head, celebrating the fact they’d caught the attack on camera.

Allen is then seen returning to the scene, and screams at the bystanders for not helping them while Busanet can be heard crying on the ground, clutching the back of her head.

Allen says members of the gathered crowd shouted anti-transgender slurs at her. The crowd watched on for more than five minutes before one of the women was able to call an ambulance.

‘We thought we were going to die because the guy had left and he’s going to come back, he has a crowbar,’ Eden said.

The footage then cuts to Eden and Busanet who are seen pleading with one of the bystanders to give Eden¿s phone back, after he claimed to be in possession of it

While the negotiations continue, the suspect is seen running into frame, and striking Busanet over the head with a bottle, knocking her unconscious.

The footage then cuts to Eden and Busanet who are seen pleading with one of the bystanders to give Eden’s phone back, after he claimed to be in possession of it. While the negotiations continue, the suspect is seen running into frame, and striking Busanet over the head with a bottle, knocking her unconscious (shown right)

Allen is then seen returning to the scene, and screams at the bystanders for not helping them while Busanet can be heard crying on the ground, clutching the back of her head

Allen is then seen returning to the scene, and screams at the bystanders for not helping them while Busanet can be heard crying on the ground, clutching the back of her head

After the incident, Eden posted a series of clips to her Instagram story, said to have been captured by Instagram user @stevofilms, who broadcasted the attack live, and posted it to his page.

‘He MOCKED US, sexualized us and instigated the ENTIRE attack,’ Eden said.

The Instagram for Steveofilms is currently set to private. He couldn’t be reached for comment.

Though multiple people were implemented in the attack LA Police say they are only seeking one man as a suspect in the case, which is being investigated as a hate crime.

It’s unclear if any of the bystanders shown in the footage know the suspect. 

The suspect is described as 25-year-old black man, 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black tank top and black shorts.

Sources with knowledge of the investigation told ABC News that the department believes it knows the identity of the suspect, and that social media users on Instagram and Twitter have also shared tips on the man’s identity.

After the incident, Eden posted a series of clips to her Instagram story, said to have been captured by Instagram user @stevofilms, who recorded the attack live, and posted it to his page

Busanet, meanwhile, said she feared for her life when she was hit

After the incident, Eden (left) posted a series of clips to her Instagram story, said to have been captured by Instagram user @stevofilms, who broadcasted the attack live, and posted it to his page. Busanet (right), meanwhile, said she feared for her life when she was hit

LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the department is also investigating while the police car shown in the video didn’t stop to assist the women. 

Moore said he planned to find out what call the officer was responding to, whether the officer realized what was happening to the women as he passed by, whether the officer alerted dispatch to the incident and ‘whether or not we took appropriate action.’

He said the investigation will include a review of body-worn camera footage to determine whether officers followed procedures.

The attack comes amid rising concerns from LGBTQ right advocates who have accused US law enforcement of not doing enough when it comes to crimes involving transgender victims.

So far this year, at least 26 transgender or non-conforming individuals have been killed, with women of color deemed the most vulnerable group.

The Human Rights Campaign, reported 25 killings in 2019 and 29 in 2018, the most it had recorded in a year.

Anyone with information on this incident should call L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

source: dailymail.co.uk