Stephanie Martinez is a transgender activist in Austin, TX. She met Rayshad Deloach in an online chat room. Deloach said he was interested in learning about transgender people/issues.

This is not unusual by itself. We must educate our fellow citizens about who we are in order to establish our niche in society. That's pretty much why I do what I do.

Martinez, however, agreed to meet "Jay," as Deloach was identifying himself, in person Thiursday afternnon. This was not her best planning. As is explained in court papers filed yesterday:

However, after spending a few minutes chatting in her car, she told police Rayshad got out and said he would be right back. When he returned, his brother, Raymond, climbed into the back seat, and told Martinez he had a gun and that she had to drive, she said.

In Rayshad’s initial account to police, he said met Martinez through an online dating website and attacked Martinez only after discovering she was transgender as they were “hooking up.”

The many messages on Martinez's phone totally blew that story out of the water.

When pressed by police Deloach admitted to targeting Martinez on the basis of her gender.

The brothers forced Martinez to drive to Northwest Austin, where she was forced to exit the car and walk behind an abandoned apartment building. There they punched her in the face repeatedly and picking up a log as if to bash her head with, before stealing her purse and car and driving off.

The next day Martinez testified at the Capitol:

This bill is not about safety, this bill is not about bathrooms. This bill is about limiting my ability to navigate public life.

--Stephanie Martinez

The brothers have been charged with aggravated robbery and kidnapping. They are being held in the Travis County Jail on bond of $150,000.

Now I can tell them this is what this bill is going to do. It is going to have people be attacked. I did not have to walk through a bathroom door to be attacked. And if we pass this bill we are going to end up having people be hurt or killed.

We are in the spotlight. We need to be safe. We need to be vigilant. We need to change how we go about things when moving in the world and realize that we are a target currently.

--Martinez