ABOVE: Suspect Eric Shaun Bridges was arrested Sept. 29 in Jacksonville. (Photo from JSO)
Police are investigating a possible anti-transgender hate crime in Jacksonville on Sept. 27 involving the victim being beaten, tied to a minivan and dragged for two blocks.
According to News 4 Jax, though the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is identifying the victim as a man, multiple sources say she is a transgender woman. She sustained life-threatening injuries and there is no information available on her current status.
34-year-old Eric Shaun Bridges was arrested Sept. 29 for the crime on charges of attempted murder.
The Florida Times-Union reported that investigators found the minivan over the weekend and found that it had been stolen before the crime. After following the evidence and other leads, they managed to track down Bridges, who has had eight prior arrests in Jacksonville. As of now, the JSO has not released a motive.
Though the JSO caught part of the attack on video, it was so “graphic” and “horrendous” that they will not release it.
The JSO urges anyone who might have information on the crime to call them at 904-630-0500.
