Cops Seek Man Who Pepper Sprayed 2 Trans Women In Jackson Heights

JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS — Police are looking for a second suspect in a pepper-spray attack on two transgender women in Jackson Heights the weekend of the WorldPride Parade.

Community organizers Bianey Garcia and Norma Ureiro say they were working on a documentary on police harassment and violence against trans women the morning of June 29 when a couple yelled slurs at them, accused them of promoting prostitution and pepper sprayed them.

The NYPD arrested Elmhurst resident Paula Custodio, 24, on hate crime charges shortly after the attack, according to a police spokesperson.

But officers said Tuesday they also want to find and question 34-year-old David Gonzalez about the attack.

Garcia went to Elmhurst Hospital with burning and watery eyes following the attack, according to police and a social media post.

"A pepper-spray attack will not stop me and our members from continuing this struggle and creating visibility and raising awareness about the lives of trans women," said Garcia, an organizer for Make the Road New York.

A transphobic man just pepper spray on my face in 82nd st Roosevelt Av, I'm at the Elmhurst hospital right now"

Transphobia is real
(Enough is enough)

Me arden los ojos!!!! #TransphobiaKills pic.twitter.com/Q3YoCeQJZH
— Bianey Garcia (@BianeyDlaO) June 29, 2019

"As members of the trans community, we are not safe," Ureiro said in a statement. "We are in danger in the streets — it doesn't matter what you're wearing, you're in danger just for being trans."

Several hundred took to the streets Monday for Make the Road New York's eighth annual Trans-Latinx march to demand an end to transphobic violence and discrimination.

Garcia was one of them.

"We march because too many of our sisters, including me, have suffered transphobic attacks and today we sent a clear message: We demand everyone to respect our existence," Garcia said.

Anyone with information in regard to the whereabouts of this male is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips.
All calls are strictly confidential.