After authorities were alerted of a recent bomb threat targeting the TransLatin@ Coalition, a Los Angeles nonprofit serving transgender Latinx communities, officials on Monday, April 15, condemned growing hate against LGBTQ+ groups.
The TransLatin@ Coalition, one of the nation’s largest trans-led organizations, joined L.A. County and police officials to speak out at a joint press conference Monday, April 15.
Police say a 60-year-old man was being held Monday for allegedly threatening to bomb or set fire to the TransLatin@ Coalition’s headquarters on 3055 Wilshire Blvd. in Koreatown.
At Monday’s news conference, officials named the suspect as Henry Nolkemper, whom they said was arrested on April 11 in connection with the alleged threats, and is being held on a $1 million bail.
Police say the suspect, who identified himself as “Henry,” called the National Suicide Hotline on March 28 around 9:25 p.m. and “made several statements regarding the bombing of the TransLatin@ Coalition business on Juneteenth,” said LAPD Assistant Chief Blake Chow.
Nolkemper reportedly “also referenced setting their building on fire using an accelerant. He also made a brief statement about attacking the L.A. Pride Parade in June,” Chow said. Police believe he was acting on his own.
Chow said the phone call bomb threat was recorded and reported to police that evening, who identified the suspect as Nolkemper, and attempted to find the suspect with no luck. LAPD officials began surveilling his Los Angeles home. The detectives were eventually able to contact Nolkemper by phone, and he surrendered to police, officials said.
On April 11, Nolkemper was arrested at his home without incident. He was booked on suspicion of making a false bomb threat, police said. He had a criminal history and “context with mental health,” Chow said.
Nolkemper was on probation when he allegedly committed the threat and was arrested, Chow said.
Police said he was charged by the L.A. District Attorney’s Office on Monday with a count of criminal threats, along with a hate crime enhancement.
Bamby Salcedo, the president/CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, said Monday that it was “not the first time our organization has received these kinds of threats.” Staffers have received hate mail and calls, Salcedo said. A connection between the bomb threat suspect and the hate mail or calls was unclear.
“One of our compañeras said that every day a trans woman steps out of their homes, it’s a revolutionary act. We need to do better to ensure that trans people are integrated into our society, to make sure there are resources for supporting them,” Salcedo said.
“We need to do better in accepting the reality that trans people exist, and have existed for many years. Our community continues to be targeted, and we need to do something about it.”
The TransLatin@ Coalition recently opened its newest El Monte office serving Latinx and transgender immigrants. Chow said police were unaware of any possible threats made there.
Robin Toma, executive director of L.A. County’s Commission on Human Relations, noted that the threat incident happened at a time when hate crimes are skyrocketing across the county and country.
“We know that the trans community is experiencing the highest level of (such) hate crimes — 9 out of 10 reported crimes against trans people are violent, far exceeding other groups,” Toma said on Monday.
Toma cited his commission’s county’s latest hate crime report, which notes 44 anti-transgender crimes — the largest number ever documented by the county. He noted that Latinx people are frequently targeted, with the suspects being “overwhelmingly male.”
“This tells us we’re in a period where our trans brothers and sisters are very vulnerable,” Toma said. “The trans community is one of the least understood, least accepted in our society.”
Toma stressed the importance of reporting hate crimes and incidents using the county’s many resources, from the confidential 211 hotline and website, to LA vs.Hate’s ongoing anti-hate campaigns.
Chief Chow also noted the increase in LGBTQ+ hate crimes and attacks, and said that hateful people feeling “emboldened” to act out in a tense political climate, or through social media.
“We will not tolerate hate — if you see something, say something, so we can do something,” Chow said. “Hate incidents can lead to hate crimes.”
Capri Maddox, executive director of the L.A. City Civil Rights Department, said that hate crimes “do surge” during election years.
“And we are in an election year… unfortaunately and we are on track to break last year’s numbers,” Maddox said on Monday. “We are very concerned about the (political) climate escalating.”
Mariana Marroquín, associate director of the Trans Wellness Center, urged Los Angeles to stand together.
“Hate is real. We’ve seen it, we feel it. But love is real also. Being trans is not a bad thing. We should learn about each other, about humanity,” Marroquín said. “We go out everyday, and we show society who we are. We’re not going to hide. Because it’s possible to be yourself in LA.”
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City News Service contributed to this report.