1 of 2 men plead guilty to violent assault on transgender woman at Mpls. LRT station
NOTE: Video is from March 1
MINNEAPOLIS -- A 19-year-old Minneapolis man on Thursday pleaded guilty to violently attacking a transgender woman at a light rail station in Minneapolis in late February.
As part of a plea deal, Keaten Morris was found guilty of third-degree assault, according to Hennepin County District Court documents. He previously also faced a first-degree aggravated robbery charge.
RELATED: 2 charged in violent assault on transgender woman at Mpls. LRT station
According to the criminal complaint, Metro Transit police officers were dispatched at around 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 27 to the LRT Lake St. Station on the report of an assault. While responding, officers were updated with images of three suspects who were seen attacking the victim, the complaint said.
When transit officers arrived, the victim was being loaded into an ambulance by Hennepin Healthcare EMS responders. The victim arrived at the hospital in "critical status," suffering a serious head injury, a fractured rib, and other injuries, officials said. She was later stabilized by medical staff.
Police received information that two out of the three suspects boarded a southbound train and exited at the LRT VA Medical Center Station. Officers searched the area and located the two suspects, identified as Morris and 23-year-old Kevin York of St. Paul, the complaint said. They were both taken into custody.
York currently faces first-degree aggravated robbery and third-degree assault. He has a trial date set for Monday.
The sentencing date for Morris is set for July 17.
