A Seattle man convicted of attacking two transgender women in separate incidents has been sentenced to prison, bringing a measure of accountability in a case prosecutors say highlights the dangers transgender people face in public spaces.
Andre Karlow was sentenced in King County Superior Court to seven years in prison for a violent hate crime assault against a transgender woman in Seattle’s University District. A jury convicted him of second-degree assault and committing a hate crime in connection with the March 2025 attack.
According to prosecutors, the victim, a transgender woman, was walking through the University District when she encountered Karlow and a group of men. Witness testimony during the trial said Karlow directed anti-transgender slurs toward her before launching an unprovoked assault.
Court testimony described how Karlow punched the victim in the face and throat and knocked her to the ground while continuing to shout biased slurs. She suffered serious injuries, including broken teeth and facial trauma, before managing to escape into a nearby restaurant for help.
Prosecutors said the attack was clearly motivated by bias against the victim’s gender identity, leading the jury to apply Washington’s hate crime statute. Senior Deputy Prosecutor Yessenia Manzo argued during the trial that the violence was not random but specifically targeted.
In addition to the University District attack, Karlow was also sentenced in a separate case for assaulting another transgender woman who worked as a Sound Transit fare ambassador. In that incident, he punched the worker while she was performing her duties. The court handed down an additional 18-month sentence for that conviction.
During sentencing, Judge Jim Rogers imposed the high end of the recommended range, totaling 84 months in prison. According to reports from the courtroom, Karlow showed little remorse for the attacks and was openly defiant during the hearing.
At one point, Karlow refused to sign sentencing paperwork, prompting the judge to hold him in contempt of court and add 30 days to his time unless he complied with the court’s order.
Advocates and prosecutors say the case underscores how harassment and bias-motivated hostility can escalate into serious violence against transgender people.
In court, prosecutors emphasized that crimes like these do not just affect individual victims but also send a broader message of fear to marginalized communities. They argued that holding perpetrators accountable is critical to ensuring that transgender people can safely exist in public spaces without fear of being targeted.
The sentencing comes amid continued national concern over violence against transgender individuals, particularly transgender women, who remain disproportionately targeted for harassment and assault.
For many in Seattle’s LGBTQ community, the verdict and sentencing represent an important step toward justice, while also serving as a reminder of the work still needed to ensure safety and equality.
