Nicol Shakhnazaryan, a 21-year-old Los Angeles resident, was taken into custody on Thursday night and booked for felony battery charges. Three other suspects remain outstanding, police said.
The attack, which was caught on video, occurred on May 31 around 2:30 a.m. The surveillance footage shows the victim, a transgender woman known as Vivian, walking along Hollywood Boulevard near Ivar Avenue when four men approach her.
"She became involved in a verbal confrontation," said LAPD Lt. Marc Reina.
Vivian walks away from the men, heading toward Vine Street.
"At that point, one of the males ran up behind Vivian, striking her from behind, knocking her unconscious, it appears on the video, to the ground. And then the rest of the group joined in and brutally assaulted Vivian by kicking and punching her," said Reina.
The victim had to spend a week in the hospital. Authorities are investigating the incident as a hate crime.
The suspect who knocked Vivian down was described as a white male between 20 to 25 years old with blond hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt with a "YSL" logo. The other three suspects are around the same age. They were wearing black shirts and black pants.
Shakhnazaryan is being held on $1,050,000 bail.
A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects. Anyone with information was asked to call Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.
