Prosecutors named two new defendants, including a Castaic woman, Thursday in connection with an alleged attack on a transgender woman that took place in October 2019.
Margarita Valencia, aka “Inquieta” (which essentially means “restless” in Spanish), 23, of Castaic, stands accused of extorting another transgender woman between June and August, and the aforementioned attack in fall 2019, according to a statement from Ricardo Santiago, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. She’s due back in court Dec. 15.
Valencia filed a not-guilty plea in court Thursday, according to Deputy District Attorney Richard Ceballos of the Hate Crimes Section, one of two prosecutors working on the case.
She faces a felony count of extortion in the second attack, as do two co-defendants: Javier Trimin-Rodriguez, aka “Golden,” 22, of Los Angeles; and Donoban Fonseca, 24.
Trimin-Rodriguez is accused of attempted murder and extortion, and additionally faces a hate crime allegation and allegations of using a knife as a deadly and dangerous weapon, as well as causing great bodily injury.
The defendants are accused of trying to force the victims to pay money in order to be at the park in both allegations, according to Ceballos. One such instance is believed to have led to a stabbing. The defendants also face the allegations that their alleged crimes were committed as part of criminal street gang activity.
The case is also being worked on by Deputy District Attorney Steven Mac of the Hardcore Gang Division, who was not immediately available for comment Thursday afternoon.
Fonseca, who’s accused on the same alleged stabbing as Trimin-Rodriguez, is being charged with 11 counts, which include attempted murder and attempting to dissuade a witness. He pleaded not guilty on Nov. 5 at his preliminary arraignment.
Valencia is being held in lieu of $135,000 bail.
The defendants face a possibility of life in prison if convicted of all charges.
