60-year-old LA man arrested for allegedly threatening to bomb TransLatina Coalition organization
Police said he also talked about attacking the Pride Parade in June.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A 60-year-old man was arrested last week for allegedly threatening to bomb the offices of an organization that advocates for the transgender community in Los Angeles.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a caller who identified himself as "Henry" called the National Suicide Hotline on March 28 and made several statements about bombing the TransLatin@ Coalition on Juneteenth. Police said he also talked about setting their building on fire with gasoline and made a statement about attacking the Pride Parade in June.
"After a lengthy conversation, they were able to identify the caller as 60-year-old Henry Nolkemper, and obtain a tentative address," said police in a statement. "Several unsuccessful attempts were made to locate the caller at the address identified during the investigation."
Last Thursday, officers went to Nolkemper's last known address in the Newton Division. They called him and were ultimately able to get him to surrender. He was arrested and booked for making a false bomb threat and a probation hold. He's currently being held without bail.
"Our community continues to be targeted," said Bamby Salcedo, the president and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition who spoke at a news conference on Monday. She and other members of the LGBTQ+ community along with civil rights leaders and law enforcement members came together to denounce the threat and the violent crimes that have been plaguing their community.
Increase in hate crimes reported in L.A.
According to police, there was a significant increase last year in hate crimes in L.A.
"We saw a 13% increase in hate crimes at the end up 2023," said LAPD Assistant Chief Blake Chow. "We saw a 40% increase in hate crimes on race and ethnicity and We saw a 23% in hate crimes with the sexual orientation and LGBTQ hate crimes are up 33% in 2023."
Hate crimes range from violent attacks to hateful emails. With 2024 being an election year, there is concern that hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community will increase even more.
"We're on track to break last year's record-breaking hate crime numbers, and we're very, very concerned about the climate escalating as we get closer to November," said Capri Maddox, the executive director of the Los Angeles Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department.
How do I report a hate crime in LA?
To report hate crimes, you can always call 911. If you're in the city of L.A., you can dial 211 to report a hate crime and 311 to report a hate crime in the county of L.A.
