A man was arrested on suspicion of attacking a transgender man in an alleged hate crime in San Francisco’s Mission District on Monday night, a police spokesman said.
The attack was reported at 9:46 p.m. in the 500 block of Valencia Street, police spokesman Officer Carlos Manfredi said.
The 43-year-old victim was approached by a man who allegedly threatened to kill him several times because he was transgender, Manfredi said.
Manfredi said the suspect struck the victim on the forehead with a cooler he was carrying, then pulled out a pocket knife, prompting the victim to spray him in the face with Mace and escape.
Officers responded and took the suspect into custody. He was taken to California Pacific Medical Center’s Davies Campus to be treated after being sprayed with the Mace, according to Manfredi
Police identified the suspect as 38-year-old Ricky Hodge.
The victim suffered a bump on the forehead and was taken to a hospital where he was treated and released, Manfredi said.
Hodge was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault, making terrorist threats, and hate crime enhancements, he said.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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