Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Cross-Dresser Doused With Gasoline

A 38-year old male cross-dresser was doused with gasoline by a 42-year woman who threatened to set him on fire according to the Star's Vic Ryckaert. He writes:

Jacqueline Dejournett, 42, 100 block of Detroit Street, faces initial charges of battery and criminal recklessness. She is being held without bond this morning, Marion County Jail records show.

Dejournett was arguing with Cece Miller, 38, at the Admiral Gas Station, 1435 E. Washington St., about 10:40 p.m.

Dejournett, according to a police report, filled a plastic jug with gasoline and doused Miller with fuel while threatening to light Miller on fire. Miller, police said, was dressed in woman's clothes.

The news story doesn't tell us whether Miller and Dejournett knew each other, or whether Dejournett was motivated to commit the act because of Miller's transgender status.

5 comments:

Jeff Cox said...

I normally don't agree with hate crimes legislation, but I may have to reconsider after this case if it turns out to be what it appears to be at first blush. Crimes like this have a very chilling effect on the transgendered.

Gary R. Welsh said...

Today's Star omits any reference to the victim being a cross-dresser, unlike the online version of the story posted yesterday.

Anonymous said...

Not that I can personally vouch, but rumor on the street has it that both the victim and the perpetrator were "working girls" with a business dispute that got taken to the gas station.

At least the E Washington site would not be inconsistent with that, and being the curious type I did take it upon myself to examine Dejournette's online rap sheet (thanks CivicNet) which is the figurative "mile long" and shows her reliably being arrested for Prostitution every few months in recent years.

The victim Williams- name too common to figure out.

Hate crimes are serious, but who's to say on this one what the motivation was.

Anonymous said...

Didn't Carl Brizzi say he was going to call for hate crimes legislation?

Gary R. Welsh said...

Anonymous 4:32--yes, Brizzi said last year he would lead the push for a hate crimes bill this year. Although he made no public statement about it, it is my understanding that GOP leaders told him--no way--and so he dropped the idea.