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2 teens arrested in possible hate crime assault on WA transgender woman
Two teenage boys are in juvenile detention, and two others are being sought, after allegedly attacking a transgender woman, Nikki Armstrong, in Renton, making homophobic comments during the assault.
RENTON, Wash. - Two teenagers have been released on electronic home monitoring after being accused of violently assaulting a transgender woman in Renton Monday evening. Police say they are still searching for two other teens involved in the attack.
According to Renton police, 39-year-old Nikki Armstrong had gotten into an argument with a group of teenage boys earlier in the evening near the Renton Transit Center. She says the boys were harassing a security guard, and she asked them, "Don't you have anything better to do?"
"I'm there 10 to 15, times a week, and passed through there even when I'm not using the bus," Armstrong told FOX 13.
Later that evening, Armstrong was walking back through the area around 8:20 p.m., when she encountered the teens again.
This time, she said the teens chased after her, knocked her to the ground and started assaulting her while making homophobic comments.
"I made it about a block before I tripped, and then they were on me, and it was fists and feet," Armstrong said. "They were choking me while one of them was stomping on my face at one point."
Why you should care:
Armstrong suffered serious injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
"It's scary to have something like that happen in a place that's always so safe and that I've been so many times," Armstrong said.
Renton Police spokesperson Meeghan Black said, "She was savagely beaten on the ground where she was defenseless."
Police called to the scene identified and arrested two of the suspects, two brothers ages 15 and 17, and booked them into juvenile detention. They believe there were two other suspects with them, but they have yet to be identified.
Authorities say all four suspects who attacked Armstrong go to Renton High School.
What's next:
Investigators referred charges of second-degree strangulation assault, second-degree assault with great bodily harm and hate crime.
"We do not stand for hate in this community and our officers and detectives will pursuit and investigate it to the fullest extent," Black said.
Judge Veronica Galvan found probable cause for second-degree assault, and released both boys on electronic home monitoring with allowances for "pro-social activities" like football, and a juvenile probation counselor will set a curfew time. A no-contact order with Armstrong was established, as well.
Dig deeper:
Although Armstrong acknowledges police are seeking a hate crime enhancement, she does not believe her identity was the reason she was targeted.
"They were pressing upon people and just being as rude as possible, trying to get a reaction out of people," Armstrong said. "When I actually said something to them, they were already being talked to by Sound Transit security, who was trying to get them to leave. When they started being rude to the Sound Transit security that I was like, 'Hey, you know, leave these guys alone'."
Despite the attack, Armstrong said she isn’t bitter toward the teens.
"I don't think jail is the place to fix troubled kids. And so I'm not gonna be hypocrite and say that I think that they should be in there, but gotta figure out something that does work for everybody, especially the kids. You know, because bad kids become bad adults," Armstrong said.
Armstrong now faces multiple reconstructive surgeries to her nose, cheekbone and brow bone. She has launched a GoFundMe to cover medical bills and to keep from being evicted while she is unable to work.
To her attackers, she had one message: "Find something better to do with your time."
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Both boys are scheduled back in court on Friday, Sept. 19, where a charging decision is expected to be made.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from the Renton Police Department and GoFundMe.