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By
Emily Nordberg
- February 28, 2025
Court
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The first day of an assault trial against a transgender woman included what the prosecution says was a vicious beating sparked by jealousy before DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean on Feb. 26
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. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in an incident that occurred on July 8, 2020, at the 5400 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW. One individual was punched in the face during the altercation.
Prior to opening statements, Delgado waived his right to test DNA evidence collected by investigators, including two of his cell phones, swabs from the victim’s vehicle, and an oral swab from the victim.
In their opening, the prosecution claimed Delgado assaulted his live-in girlfriend of a year-and-a-half, who he suspected of cheating. They argued Delgado tried to “humiliate and intimidate” her by punching her, shaving her hair, stealing her money, personal belongings and vehicle in retaliation.
Prosecutors noting the victim is a transgender woman and proceeded to detail the attack, arguing that after he accused her of cheating, Delgado punched her in the face, dragged her by her hair into the bathroom where he shaved her head, which was a symbol of her femininity. Prosecutors claimed that while Delgado shaved her head, he called her by the name she used prior to transition, as well as a homophobic slur and threatened to kill her.
The prosecution said Delgado took the victim to a gas station to withdraw money from an ATM, but he wanted more and the pair went to a bank and withdrew most of the money from the victim’s account.
According to prosecutors, Delgado threatened the victim that he would kill her if she told the police and said he would keep her car for a week. Four days later, after receiving a text from him allegedly threatening to drain all the money from her account, she decided to call the police.
The prosecution told jurors the victim will testify and review surveillance footage from the apartment and the bank indicating she complied with Delgado’s demands out of fear. An officer from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will also testify about the investigation and interview with the Delgado in which he largely corroborated the victim’s side of the story and stated because he paid for things in the beginning of the relationship, he felt he was owed some of that back after the break up.
Prosecutors highlighted a bias enhancement on the assault charge, arguing Delgado’s actions were not only motivated by anger over the alleged cheating, but also by the victim’s gender identity.
In his opening statement, defense attorney Bryan Bookhard pushed back on the prosecution’s claims, stating this was not a case of kidnapping, carjacking, or robbery, but rather the end of a relationship between two individuals who loved each other. He urged the jurors to consider the reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s argument.
Bookhard explained that the relationship went south after Delgado found evidence on hwe phone she cheated on him. He also pointed out there was an earlier incident that made Delgado believe she cheated and strained the relationship.
According to Bookhard, when the break up was happening, Delgado was not working and sought some assistance moving out. Bookhard claimed the victim gave him access to her car and voluntarily withdrew money to support him.
The defense also challenged the kidnapping charge, highlighting that the victim never attempted to flee or seek help when left alone at the gas station or at the bank, suggesting there was no threat.
Bookhard pointed out inconsistencies in the victim’s story, noting the absence of visible marks or injuries that would be expected from the violent altercation she described. He also challenged the reliability of the victim’s testimony, claiming her version of events grows more extreme with each retelling to portray Delgado in a negative light and enhance her side of the story.
The trial is slated to resume on Feb. 27.