Robbery Victim Seeks Hate-Crime Charges

A transgender student at Houston Community College wants the man accused of attacking him in a robbery to be convicted of a hate crime, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Lance Reyna, a well-known activist for gay and transgender rights on the HCC campus, was robbed at knifepoint while using a men's restroom at the college. The robber took Reyna's wallet and beat him. Reyna suffered a concussion.

The accused robber, Terrance Calhoun, is also an HCC student and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of the charge of aggravated robbery.

Officials with the Harris County district attorney's office say they are unlikely to charge Calhoun with a hate crime because it would not make Calhoun's punishment more severe and the motivation would be difficult to prove.