Man Terrorized Trans Shopkeeper During String Of Sexual Assault And Hate-Crime Attacks: DA

LOS ANGELES, CA — A 23-year-old man has been charged with 11 felonies, including attempted murder, in what prosecutors claim was a string of violent hate-crime attacks against a transgender shopkeeper over two months last year.

Paul Alan Thompson pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to willful, deliberate and premeditated attempted murder, assault with a firearm, first-degree residential burglary with a person present, second-degree robbery, use of tear gas, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, assault with caustic chemicals, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and two counts of making making criminal threats, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.

The complaint includes multiple special allegations, including hate crime allegations, according to prosecutors. He faces life in prison if convicted as charged.

On April 8, the 61-year-old victim was inside her Westlake store when the suspect, later identified as Thompson, began to flirt with her. He left after the woman rejected his advances, the Los Angeles Police Department said at the time.

"The suspect returned a short time later and pushed her to the ground. The suspect sexually assaulted the victim and discovered she was a transgender woman. The suspect pulled away and threatened to kill the victim," police said.

He returned to the store multiple times with additional people and committed what police described as hate crimes against the woman: On different occasions he struck her with a skateboard, pepper-sprayed her, and "threw an unknown substance at the victim while another suspect attempted to stun her with a Taser," police said.

On May 31, the suspects returned to the woman's store and "physically assaulted her, inflicting serious injuries," police said.

The victim, Sabrina de la Peña, shared surveillance camera footage with ABC 7 that captured one of the attacks.

Police last year circulated photos of Thompson and the other suspects in an attempt to identify them.

On May 27, suspect Samuel Parros was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm with great bodily injury.

Thompson was publicly identified as a suspect by police earlier this month.

He was arrested on Monday and is being held on $2.5 million bail, according to jail records.

“Violence fueled by hate strikes at the very core of our community and will not be tolerated,” District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “This defendant allegedly targeted the victim because she is transgender, repeatedly terrorizing and assaulting her in her own business. My office is committed to holding individuals accountable for crimes rooted in bias and ensuring that every member of our community feels safe and protected under the law.”