Transgender woman brutally attacked multiple times at her Westlake store, video shows
WESTLAKE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A disturbing attack on a business owner in the Westlake District was caught on camera, and the victim believes her gender identity is why she was targeted.
In the security video, screams of terror can be heard coming from the small store. Moments later, the fight between the owner and a man who attacked her spilled outdoors onto a walkway.
The victim, Sabrina de la Peña, says the attacker has threatened her before.
De la Peña says the trouble started on April 8, when the suspect came in and bought water from her small convenience store. She says he attempted to flirt with her but became angry when she told him to leave. He then knocked her to the ground.
"I go back to my space and he pushed me... he pushed me down... on the floor and we start fighting on the floor," Peña said.
The suspect eventually ran away but returned the next day with another man. In that incident, he started beating her with a skateboard.
"He take me to the alley, out my door...and he beating me, you know... and I got the skateboard and I go over...but he left," she said.
De la Peña believes the suspect attacked her because she is transgender.
"I think he hate transgender women because he tell me many times... 'I'm gonna kill you'," she said.
De la Peña says the suspect returned to her store two more times, most recently, just over a week ago. In that instance, two other men were captured on camera with the suspect.
The small business owner filed a police report. She has been in business in the community for nearly 30 years, and says this is the first time she has felt unsafe.
"You know how you feel when you think people didn't want you, didn't love you cause you are so different. We don't do nothing wrong...we are different, that's our life," said De la Peña.
She says that she used to keep her business opened until midnight but because of these frightening incidents, she's closing her doors no later than 9 p.m.
