10
QUEENS WEEKLY, JULY 7, 2019
LGBT
the violence against
transgender people
and high levels of
police harassment,”
Garcia said through an
interpreter. “There was
a woman and a man who
started harassing us and
saying slurs. They called
us ‘f—-ts’ and then said
women like us only
promote prostitution,
but it is only because
of the clothes we were
wearing.”
Garcia said the
woman — identified by
police as Paola Custodio,
24 — allegedly took out
pepper spray and hit
Garcia in the back with
the liquid.
After the police were
called, Garcia alleges
that officers claimed the
substance was only water
and took no further
action against the two
individuals.
“They didn’t believe
us. They said it was just
water and asked if we
had actually seen the
pepper spray,” Garcia
continued. “Ultimately,
the woman was arrested
but it was because she
was being aggressive
with the police officers.
It was not related
to us.”
According to Garcia,
she and the other
filmmakers left the area
to return to 82nd Street
later. But the male Garcia
claims was harassing
them also returned and
pepper sprayed them in
the face.
Garcia is an organizer
with Make the Road NY;
Matteo Guerrero, who led
the rally representing
the organization, said
video of the incident
was recorded by the
documentary crew but
would not be released
until a later time.
Tiffany Cabán, a
queer Latina Democratic
candidate for Queens
district attorney and
the apparent winner of
last week’s Democratic
primary for the
post,attended the rally.
“When someone
attacks our community,
we absolutely cannot
stay silent. We must
stand up together
against transphobia in
Queens, against attacks
on our community,
against harassment and
hatred,” Cabán said.
As the TimesLedger
went to press, Cabán
remained the likely
winner of the Democratic
primary, pending the
results of a count of all
absentee ballots.
According to NYPD,
Garcia’s story is “all
confirmed.”
Custodio, 24, an
Elmhurst resident, was
taken into custody at
3:49 a.m. on June 29,
NYPD said, and she was
charged with assault as a
hate crime harassment.
Custodio was
previously arrested
on Feb. 24 and faces a
felony conviction for
burglary and criminal
mischief with intent to
damage property.
This case was last
adjourned on June 20
and she is set to return
to Queens Criminal
Court in August.
Continued from Page 1
Creep gropes self at Forest Hills station
seen on this video at the
station mezzanine.
Anyone with
information in regard
to the identity of this
male is asked to call the
NYPD’s Crime Stoppers
Hotline at 1-800-577-
TIPS (8477) or for
Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA
(74782). All calls are
kept confidential.
Reach reporter Emily
Davenport by email at
edavenport@qns.com or
by phone at (718) 224-
5863 ext. 236.
Continued from Page 1
The suspected creep at the 67th Avenue station in Forest Hills. Photo courtesy of NYPD
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