D.C. police are searching for a man who sexually assaulted a transgender woman while armed this Saturday in the area of the 1100 block of Atlas Court NE, near H Street NE. The woman, according to police, accepted a ride from the man at about 1 a.m. Saturday.

Once inside the car, the suspect drover her to a nearby alley, took out a gun, and assaulted her. The suspect is described as a 20-something black male with short curly hair, a dark complexion, and a slim build. He is thought to have been driving a gold, four-door Lexus, police say.

This isn’t the only recent crime involving a transgender victim. Five of the victims in a recent string of robberies along the Eastern Avenue corridor and side streets in Ward 7 are transgender women, many of them sex workers on that street. None of these cases involved any reported sexual assaults and police do not believe the robberies are connected.

Anyone with information regarding this latest case should police at (202) 727-9099.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery