Bronx man accused of hate crime in stabbing of transgender woman

A man from the Bronx attacked a transgender woman who attempted to stop him from assaulting another woman, according to prosecutors. The defendant, Carlos Santana, faced charges of assault, weapon possession, harassment, and committing a hate crime nearly a month after the incident at the El Borinquen housing complex. Santana allegedly stabbed the victim in the thigh and ear while using transphobic insults. The prosecutor, Ashley Akl, stated that Santana had “viciously stabbed the victim over and over again just because she is transgender.” The defendant was also accused of making homophobic remarks.

After a month of evading prosecution, Santana was arrested and identified in a photo array. Defense attorney David Kirsch claimed that Santana did not admit to the attack and stated that the victim’s knife was used in self-defense. Santana was released on $10,000 bail by Judge Dan Quart.