Second Transgender Beating Suspect ID'd

By City News Service

A second suspect was arrested in connection with the May 31 beating of a transgender woman, who was attacked on Hollywood Boulevard and hospitalized for a week with serious injuries, police said Thursday.

Samuel Garunts, 21, was arrested about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and booked on suspicion of felony battery, according to Los Angeles police Officer Drake Madison.

Garunts was released on $50,000 bail early this afternoon, and a tentative court date was set for Nov. 18 in the downtown Los Angeles Criminal Courts Building, according to the sheriff's department.

In June, police arrested Nicol Shakhnazaryan, 21, who has been charged in the attack. He has been ordered to stand trial and is expected to be arraigned next month.

According to police, a group of suspects attacked the then-22-year-old victim in the 6200 block of Hollywood Boulevard about 2:15 a.m. May 31.

Security video circulated by police showed the young men knocking down the victim, who was wearing a sheer dress, and then delivering several kicks to the head and body.

The victim, identified by police only as "Vivian," suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs, two fractured eye sockets and other injuries that kept her hospitalized for several days, according to authorities.