A Los Angeles man is in custody on suspicion of being one of four men involved in the beating of a transgender woman last month in Hollywood.  LAPD officers served a search warrant on the man’s residence Thursday night, three days after the City of Los Angeles offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect.

The victim was employed in an upscale Hollywood restaurant as a barista and was walking down a street in Hollywood after leaving work at 2:15 a.m.  Local surveillance cameras caught footage of a group of men following the victim as she walked down the street and then started attacking and beating her.  Her injuries were reported to be severe and she had to remain in the hospital for seven days.

The alleged suspect is currently being held in custody on $1.05 million bail and facing not only felony assault and battery with severe injuries, but the possibility of this being charged as a hate crime in addition.

If you have been charged with battery, assault, assault with a deadly weapon or assault with means likely to produce great bodily injury, you need, in two words, a lawyer.  You need to remain silent and have your attorney speak on your behalf to law enforcement investigators and prosecutors.  Serious violent crimes are charges that prosecutors don’t take lightly and are convictions that can have major implications on your life and criminal record.

If you are charged with felony assault or battery, you are looking at prison time, fines, restitution and possibly a serious and violent crime on your record for a long time.  If you have been charged with assault and battery in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Los Angeles or Pasadena, contact attorney Ross Erlich as soon as possible.  These charges require a skilled and aggressive defense attorney to advocate for your rights and to tell your side of the story.