A 23-year-old Costa Mesa man pleaded guilty Tuesday and was immediately sentenced to six months in jail for attacking a transgender woman with his skateboard.
Johnny Santos Moreno pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of assault, and single felony counts of violation of civil rights with violent injury and dissuading a witness by force. As part of the plea deal, a hate crime sentencing enhancement was dismissed and the assault count was knocked down from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Moreno, who has been in custody since March 11, was also placed on two years of formal probation.
He hurled an anti-gay slur at the victim before repeatedly hitting her with the skateboard, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. A driver passing by saw the attack and called police.
He was charted with dissuading a witness by force for threatening a bystander who called police.