‘I Feared for My Life, I Wanted to Disappear,’ Says Transgender Victim in Carjacking Case

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The victim of a domestic violence case testified about her fear before a jury in DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean’s courtroom on Feb. 27.

Nicolas Delgado, 31, is charged with unarmed carjacking, kidnapping, two counts of first-degree theft, two counts of robbery, second-degree theft, attempted credit card fraud, threat to kidnap or injure a person, and two counts of simple assault for his alleged involvement in an incident that occurred on July 8, 2020, at the 5400 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW.

Prosecutors called on the victim, who identified herself as the ex-girlfriend of Delgado. According to the witness, he punched her multiple times in the face after accusing her of cheating. The victim said she’d seen Delgado “furious” before, but “his eyes looked different.”

She testified he then dragged her into the bathroom and cut off her hair with scissors and a razor.

While doing so, she stated he repeatedly called her the F-slur, an attack at the transgender victim. She claimed Delgado knew the significance of her hair, stating “It’s everything to me. It’s what makes me feel pretty.”

She claimed he took her belongings including designer bags and jewelry. Then, the witness testified he drove them to a bank ATM machine, where he made her withdraw all her money and give it to him.

She claimed Delgado would make threats targeting her and her family including, “If we broke up, my family would find my head chopped off on top of the TV” and “If I told anyone, he would kill my mom and my entire family.”

After the incident, the witness said she cried for hours and took a picture of herself, which the prosecution showed to the court. It portrayed the victim’s shaved head and faint bruises on her face where Delgado allegedly struck her.

When asked why she did not fight back, she expressed her fear and stated “I feared for my life… I wanted to disappear.”

The witness claimed she initially did not call the police and had no intention of doing so because she feared for her family’s safety. However, after receiving a text from him several days later detailing how he would empty her bank account, she “noticed it was a pattern” and “it was never going to stop.”

According to the witness, she realized she could not keep it a secret and needed law enforcement to get involved.

During cross-examination, Bryan Bookhard, Delgado’s defense attorney, mentioned two incidents when the victim had opportunities to seek help while Delgado allegedly held her in his custody.

In response, the victim explained, “I was doing what he asked me to do so he didn’t hurt my family,” and described him as “an aggressive man.”

Parties are slated to reconvene on March 3.