On August 29th, the Lincoln County Grand Jury found enough evidence existed against Fred J. Costanza to face charges of Assault in the second degree, a bias crime in the first degree, menacing, and harassment. These charges stem from an assault that occurred on August 24th against a transgender person at Agate Beach state park.
According to the probable cause statement Newport Police responded to the Agate Beach State Park just after 11am on a report of an assault and that the suspect, later identified as Costanza from Blackfoot Idaho, was leaving the scene in a car with a female passenger.
Upon police arrival the victim was found to have multiple injuries and bleeding from the mouth and face and appeared to have a broken jaw. According to witnesses “the victim had used the female bathroom, as a *transgender male”. Costanza reportedly walked over 100-yards across the park to confront the victim, then witnesses reported observing Costanza hitting the victim over 10-times.
The victim was transported to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital and later transported to OHSU for the severity of injuries including multiple breaks to the jaw and a skull fracture. Just before 3pm Costanza returned to the scene and was arrested and lodged at the Lincoln County Jail with a bail set at $250,000.
* We at PNWNE understand this person was mis-gendered and is in-fact a transgender female and should be referred to as such, but unfortunately the witness did mis-gender them in their statement to police.