According to new court records, an attack on an activist last week in Austin, Texas transpired because she’s transgender.

On Thursday, two brothers, Rayshad Deloach, 17, and Raymond, 26, were arrested for kidnapping and robbing Stephanie Martinez, a transgender activist. After meeting Rayshad online, Martinez was under the impression they were meeting in person to discuss transgender issues. However, when she picked the men up, they put a gun to her head and told her to drive.

When the car stopped on a residential street, she was assaulted and punched multiple times before they stole her purse.

‘Emotionally I’ve been all over the place. The memory that comes back the most is when I close my eyes and I picture him over my head with a log,’ Martinez stated, referring to Rayshad picking up a log as if he was going to bludgeon her with it.

In an initial report, Rayshad claimed he attacked Martinez after finding out she was transgender as they were ‘hooking up’. However, when texts proved Martinez had been forthright about being transgender, police pressed. An officer’s later arrest affidavit then revealed ‘Rayshad admitted that he attacked Martinez because she was transgender’.

Both men now face charges of aggravated kidnapping and robbery with a combined bail set at $150,000.

An activist perseveres

Less than 24 hours after, Martinez appeared at the State Capitol to attend a hearing on the bathroom bill.

After the weekend, Martinez returned to share her story with lawmakers. In the office of Rep. Garnet Coleman’s office, D-Houston, she explained: ‘This is kind of a hard thing to talk about. But as you see I have some nice bruising around my mouth and I have no denture in today, and that is because I was attacked on Thursday.’

While the event won’t deter Martinez from her efforts, she says she will have to change how she does things going forward.