Hate Crime Charges Filed in Attack on Transgender Women

ROCKVILLE, MD — Two men who used vulgar slurs against two transgender women, then allegedly slammed one victim into a convenience store window so hard it cracked, are in jail on hate crime charges, police say.

Montgomery County Police arrested the suspects for a hate-based strong-arm robbery that occurred about 2:38 a.m. Monday outside the 7-Eleven store at 11445 Amherst Ave.

The victims, a 36-year-old from Rockville and a 44-year-old from Fort Washington were confronted as they tried to enter the 7-Eleven store by the suspects, whom police say began a verbal confrontation in Spanish using disparaging epithets about the victim's sexual orientation.

The Rockville woman began recording the incident on her cell phone. Once one of the suspects realized he was being recorded, he reportedly threw a cup of noodles on the victims. Both suspects grabbed for the cell phone and began punching and kicking the victims.

Police say the Rockville woman was pushed into the store’s front-glass window, causing a large portion of it to crack. Both victims received medical attention at the 4th District Police Station for minor injuries.

The suspects grabbed the victim's cell phone and ran toward Blueridge Avenue. After police broadcast descriptions of the suspects, patrol officers located the men near the 11200 block of Georgia Avenue, where they were taken into custody.

Carlos Hernandez-Sanez, 18, of an unknown address, and Edras Vasquez, 20, of an unknown address were both arrested in the encounter.

Police say Hernandez-Sanez was charged with robbery, second-degree assault, malicious destruction of property valued over $1,000, and hate crime/harassment of a person based on race/religion/sexual orientation which carries a maximum penalty of three years in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. He is being held on a $65,000 bond.

Vasquez was charged with robbery, two counts of second-degree assault, malicious destruction of property valued over $1,000, and two counts of harassment of a person based on race/religion/sexual orientation. He is being held on a $125,000 bond.

»Photos of Carlos Hernandez-Sanez and Edras Vasquez, courtesy of Montgomery County Police