Suspect arrested in fatal beating of transgender woman in Harlem

HARLEM (WABC) -- A person is under arrest and facing charges in the 2013 death of a transgender woman in Harlem.

The victim, 21-year-old Islan Nettles, was beaten to death in an incident that was investigated as a bias crime.

The suspect, 24-year old James Dixon, was taken into custody and appeared in court in Lower Manhattan Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty, but prosecutors say he actually confessed to the assault.

He is charged with first and second-degree manslaughter and first-degree assault.

Nettles died of blunt impact injuries to the head days after in the August 17, 2013, attack.

Authorities say she and two friends were walking down Frederick Douglass Boulevard near 148th Street, just across the street from a NYPD housing bureau precinct, when they encountered a group of men who became enraged once they discovered that Nettles was transgender.

The group allegedly surrounded Nettles and called her derogatory names, including "he-shes" and "she-males."

A fight broke out, and police say Nettles was knocked to the ground and then beaten while the attackers yelled homophobic slurs. Police discovered Nettles unconscious on the ground.

A 20-year-old man had previously been arrested, and detectives said they were investigating whether he had propositioned Nettles before the attack. But charges were dropped when investigators determined the suspect was mis-identified.

Since then, relatives and advocates have been critical of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, demanding they do a better job updating the community about a case they say sends a strong message to transgender women about the value of their lives.