Man arrested in severe beating, dragging

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect conflicting statements regarding the victim's gender identity.

Jacksonville police made an arrest in what they termed a "horrendous" incident Friday that saw a victim beaten, tied and dragged behind a minivan.

Eric Shaun Bridges, 34, was arrested Sunday evening on a charge of attempted murder, the Sheriff's Office said.

Officers were called to Pearce Street near West 36th Street where a person was found lying on the street suffering from life-threatening injuries.

"The victim had been severely beaten and was dragged from a suspect's minivan by his legs for about two blocks behind a Dodge Caravan with a male driver, Assistant Chief Brien Kee said Friday. Some of the attack was caught on a camera that is part of the Sheriff's Office's Real Time Crime Center.

"The video was so graphic we can't release it. It's horrendous," Kee said.

Investigators found the minivan over the weekend and learned it had been reported stolen prior to the incident. Homicide detectives spoke to people in the area, tracked leads and analyzed evidence in and around the crime scene as well as in the vehicle, and tracked down Bridges midday Sunday, the Sheriff's Office said.

Bridges has eight prior arrests in Jacksonville, mostly for grand theft, according to jail records. The Sheriff's Office did not indicate a possible motive in Friday's attack.

The Sheriff's Office said the victim was a man, but LGBT activists report the victim was a transgender woman. WJXT TV-4 spoke with a relative of the victim, who identified them as a gay man.

Last week, police announced an arrest in the killing of a transgender woman.

Sean Bernard Phoenix's arrest was announced Thursday in the Feb. 4, 2018, shooting death of 36-year-old Celine Walker at the Skinner Lake Drive Extended Stay America. The two had a previous relationship.

Transgender Awareness Project leader Paige Mahogany Parks posted, "Yes JSO keep them coming" on Facebook regarding the arrests.

"The transgender community feel a lot safer knowing that JSO has two suspects in custody," Parks said. "There is more work to do but we are satisfied with the work JSO have done."

Walker’s death was the first of three transgender homicides that occurred over a five-month period in the city.

The second occurred June 1, 2018, when 38-year-old local performer Antash’a Devine Sherrington English was shot between two abandoned homes in the 1500 block of Ella Street. Then about three weeks later 24-year-old Cathalina Christina James was shot outside the Quality Inn and Suites on Dix Ellis Trail.

Nationwide, crimes against the transgender community have been a concern. In the United States this year, at least 18 transgender people — most of them transgender women of color — have been murdered, The New York Times reported. The American Medical Association declared the violence against the community an “epidemic” across the country.

Dan Scanlan : (904) 359-4549