Community Alerts

AVP is deeply concerned by a spike in violence perpetrated against transgender and gender non-conforming people. On September 23, Victoria Carmen, a 28-year-old transgender woman, was shot to death in a private residence in Maplewood, New Jersey. The case is still being investigated, and no arrests have been made. On September 13, two transgender women were found dead alongside Highway 512 in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico. Both women had been shot in the head. Authorities have arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with the killings. These murders are the fourth and fifth that we know of in the past year that have targeted transgender and gender non-conforming people in Puerto Rico.

AVP is outraged by the bias attack on Luis Vieira, 47, and his partner, Richard Vieira, 39, that occurred at a White Castle in the Stapleton neighborhood of Staten Island at about 2:30 am on Wednesday. The victims allege that they passed a group of about 40 youths on Bay Street and that three members of this group entered the White Castle shortly after they did and approached their table using hate language in a verbal exchange with the victims. The youths walked away, but moments later, Luis was hit in the back of the head. He and his partner rushed out to the parking lot but saw the larger group of youths gathered there. Luis returned inside to ask a restaurant employee to call 911 when he realized that his partner, Richard, was not with him. Luis went back outside to find Richard badly beaten and bleeding from his head in the parking lot. Richard Vieira was taken by ambulance to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, Staten Island where he received stitches. He has since been released.

The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) has learned of the arrest of Louis Newman, a 43-year-old Brooklyn resident who is accused of wielding a knife while making anti-gay remarks to two 22-year-old men on Saturday morning, June 6, at 9:30am on Utica Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. The victims were able to wave down NYPD officers who arrested Newman. Newman has been charged with menacing as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon.

AVP is outraged that Hakim Scott was acquitted of murder and hate crime charges for his part in the brutal attack that led to the death of Jose Sucuzhanay. The jury instead handed down a manslaughter verdict. Scott was also charged with attempted assault for chasing Romel Sucuzhanay with the same bottle that Scott broke over the Jose’s head.

AVP is disturbed and outraged by an incident that occurred on April 14, at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center) in Manhattan. Staff members arriving to work yesterday discovered a burned rainbow flag hanging on a poster display case outside The Center. Center staff immediately contacted the NYPD and called AVP to report this despicable act of hate violence. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes unit is handling the investigation and AVP is working with the NYPD and The Center to respond to this incident.