New York Daily News

Black trans gal charged in Bx. hate

- BY THOMAS TRACY AND ESHA RAY

A black transgende­r Bronx woman armed with a blade faced hate crime charges for allegedly pepper-spraying strangers on the street and yellilng: “I f---ing hate white people!”

Thomas Heard, 37, allegedly attacked a husband and wife shopping on E. 187th St. near Hughes Ave. in Belmont about 2 p.m. Friday, cops said.

She kicked the 55-year-old man, pepper-sprayed him in the face and told the couple, “I f---ing hate white people,” authoritie­s charge.

The next day she struck again four blocks away, cops said.

Heard approached a couple walking near her apartment on Crotona Ave. near E. 187th St. about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, asked the 24-year-old woman, “Are you white?” and pepperspra­yed her in the face, police said.

Heard also pulled a blade and threatened the woman’s 30-year-old boyfriend before she ran off, cops say.

None of the victims in either incident needed medical attention.

Police are now investigat­ing whether Heard sprayed seven white victims with an unknown substance in Manhattan on Friday, several hours before the first Bronx attack.

A woman sprayed a 29-yearold man in the face on the 2 and 3 train platform in the 125th St. station in Harlem around 11:50 a.m. The same woman then doused four women and a man above ground on the street, cops said.

About an hour later, the mystery sprayer spritzed a 30-yearold woman in the face on the platform at the W. 96th St. Nos. 1, 2 and 3 subway stop on the Upper West Side, cops say.

Medics took two victims in the Manhattan attacks to Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, where they were treated and released.

Early Saturday, cops released surveillan­ce photos and video of the suspect in the Manhattan attacks.

Later on Saturday — about an hour after the final Bronx attack — cops nabbed Heard. She was hit with a slew of charges including assault as a hate crime, weapon possession, menacing and harassment.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States