On August 29th, the Lincoln County Grand Jury found enough evidence existed against Fred J. Costanza to face charges of Assault in the second degree, a bias crime in the first degree, menacing, and harassment. These charges stem from an assault that occurred on August 24th against a transgender person at Agate Beach state park.
According to the probable cause statement Newport Police responded to the Agate Beach State Park just after 11am on a report of an assault and that the suspect, later identified as Costanza from Blackfoot Idaho, was leaving the scene in a car with a female passenger.
Upon police arrival the victim was found to have multiple injuries and bleeding from the mouth and face and appeared to have a broken jaw. According to witnesses “the victim had used the female bathroom, as a *transgender male”. Costanza reportedly walked over 100-yards across the park to confront the victim, then witnesses reported observing Costanza hitting the victim over 10-times.
The victim was transported to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital and later transported to OHSU for the severity of injuries including multiple breaks to the jaw and a skull fracture. Just before 3pm Costanza returned to the scene and was arrested and lodged at the Lincoln County Jail with a bail set at $250,000.
* We at PNWNE understand this person was mis-gendered and is in-fact a transgender female and should be referred to as such, but unfortunately the witness did mis-gender them in their statement to police.
We agree! but unfortunately this is what the witnesses probable cause statement states! We are adding quotes to this statement in our story to hopefully clear up the confusion but unfortunately the witness used incorrect pronouns in their statement to police in a legal document that we can not change.
" According to witnesses the victim had used the female bathroom, as a transgender male. " No, she used the female bathroom as a transgender woman. Please make the correction.