Possible hate crime investigated after police say men robbed, assaulted transgender females

WHEATON-GLENMONT, Md. - Police arrested two men they say were involved in a hate-crime robbery against two transgender females in Montgomery County.

The incident happened around 2:30 a.m. Monday at the 7-Eleven on the 11000 block of Amherst Avenue.

Police say two Hispanic transgender females, ages 36 and 44, tried to enter the store when the two men allegedly began a verbal confrontation with them. Police say that the men made disparaging sexual-orientation based epithets to the women in Spanish.

One of the men allegedly threw a cup of soup at one of the women when they realized the victim was recording the incident on her cell phone. Police say 36-year-old victim was allegedly thrown into the store's glass window. Her phone was also stolen.

Police arrested the men in the area of the 11200 block of Georgia Avenue shortly after they fled on foot.

The men were identified as 18-year-old Carlos Hernandez-Sanez and 20-year-old Edras Vasquez. Hernandez-Sanez faces multiple charges including second-degree assault, destruction of property, and a hate crime. Vasquez also faces several charges including harassment, robbery, and second-degree assault.

The incident is still under investigation.