Toledo's Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center released 33-year-old transgender Ohio resident Candice Rose Milligan Thursday after a brutal midday attack from three men left her with a broken mandible and head injuries. Milligan, a prominent transgender activist, underwent two surgeries and had her jaw wired shut; she is currently heavily medicated. Milligan was walking 13th Street and Madison Avenue when the three men accosted her on Monday afternoon.
Ms. Milligan was walking on Madison when three men approached her, made derogatory comments, and then one of the men punched Ms. Milligan in the face, mouth, and head, according to a Toledo police report. Once Ms. Milligan was on the ground, the other men kicked and punched her. One of them grabbed a cell phone from Ms. Milligan's hand and then fled.
Police said they arrived to find Ms. Milligan with a large bump on her forehead and her mouth bleeding. Nearby witnesses were able to provide police with vague suspect descriptions.
Toledo police have arrested and charged 20-year-old Christopher Temple with robbery, attempt to inflict, or threaten serious physical harm on another; Temple has yet to divulge the names of the other two associated with the attack.
Said Rev. Darlene Nipper, the deputy executive director for the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, in a statement: