Police investigating suspected bias crime against Eugene transgender woman

A transgender woman was assaulted in Eugene's West University neighborhood Monday by a man and three others who allegedly used slurs targeting her for being transgender, according to the Eugene Police Department. The incident is being investigated as a suspected bias crime.

Officers responded to the victim's apartment at around 10:15 p.m. Monday, where she reported being assaulted while walking home from a downtown business near the intersection of East 12th Avenue and Patterson Alley, EPD spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin said.

The woman, who is in her 50s, was taken to a hospital for her injuries. The suspects were described as four white males, with one committing the alleged assault. All of the men reportedly used slurs and commented on the woman's gender identity, McLaughlin said. Officers searched the area but did not locate the suspects.

Two of the suspects were described as wearing green baseball hats, one had brown curly hair, and another was in a gray shirt, McLaughlin said. They were described as being around 5 feet, 6 inches tall, according to McLaughlin.

In 2021 there were two suspected hate crimes against people over their gender identity, down from three in 2020, a report from the city shows.

Anyone with information on the suspects can contact Eugene Police at 541-682-5111 and reference case 22-14951.

Louis Krauss covers breaking news for The Register-Guard. Contact him at lkrauss@registerguard.com or 541-521-2498, and follow him on Twitter @LouisKraussNews.