Hit-And-Run Possible Hate Crime; DC Teen Arrested

WASHINGTON, DC — An 18-year-old man has been charged as a suspect in connection to a hit-and-run and possible hate crime against a transgender woman in Northeast Washington, police said.

Startwaune Anderson, of Northeast DC, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault while armed for the July 5 incident. Police say the weapon was the car Anderson was driving.

At around 3:15 a.m. July 5, Anderson allegedly intentionally struck a transgender woman who was walking in the 400 block of K Street, police told Patch. Anderson then fled eastbound on K Street and the victim was transported to an area hospital, where she was listed in critical condition, police said.

According to WJLA, a friend of the victim said several men were hollering at the victim while she was walking down the street. They then got into an argument with a man in the group the victim was with.

The friend said one of the men made a threat, and soon after that the transgender woman was hit.

“We can not definitively say at this point that it was a hate crime, but we have not ruled that out, and we’re still investigating it,” Acting Captain Anthony Haythe with the Metropolitan Police Department said.

Anderson has a court appearance scheduled for Thursday. Subscribe to the Washington DC Patch to stay up to date with all your local crime news.

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