An Oregon transgender woman has been indicted for allegedly threatening her co-workers online and making violent threats against Blacks, Jews and immigrants.
Elizabeth Ballesteros West, 56, who is charged with transmitting an interstate threat, came to the attention of the FBI in September 2023 when a tipster alerted the agency about her online activity, the Justice Department said. Investigators discovered a threat made by West of an apparent mass shooting targeting her co-workers, according to an affidavit.
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“So there really isn’t any point living anymore? I’m just gonna have to do what I have to do and pray for the gods to forgive me,” the threat read, according to the affidavit.
The post was accompanied by images of two firearms, authorities said.
During an interview with the FBI, West admitted to projecting her suicidal thoughts on Facebook, the document said.
“West told the interviewing agents she was lonely and felt suicidal in the past,” the affidavit states. “She explained that she struggles with depression and had reached out to the White Bird Crisis line in Eugene in the past when she was feeling suicidal. West said her boyfriend passed away in 2017, and she struggled to find a partner since.”
In a separate interview with the FBI, West said she harbored a prejudice against Black people that stemmed from an attack years ago, along with hateful opinions of Jews and immigrants.
“West also feels that black customer service agents’ mis-gender her intentionally,” the affidavit said. “West’s boyfriend, who died in 2017, had a Nazi flag. After his death she found the flag and kept it. West has not sent images of herself with the Nazi flag to anyone.”
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During her interviews with the FBI, West talked about her troubled relationships and her desire to have gender reassignment surgery.
“West offered that she has a primary care physician who was assisting her with the process of pursuing gender reassignment surgery and recently received notice that she had been approved for an initial consultation for gender reassignment surgery,” the court documents state. “West was very excited and had been working toward this for some time.”
In November, West allegedly posted and reposted videos, memes and other content on X supporting Adolf Hitler, violence against Blacks, Jews and immigrants and a live-stream of the deadly Christchurch Mosque shooting in New Zealand along with other posts espousing hatred.
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On Jan. 3, West told the FBI she had multiple weapons. On Jan. 9, the FBI executed a search warrant for her home and vehicle. Authorities seized 11 handguns, 16 rifles , tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, firearm accessories, a black book that matched the description of West’s “black shadow” journal, 48 drawings, and a black and white composition notebook containing notes.
Fox News Digital has reached out to West for comment.
* Original Article:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/oregon-transgender-woman-nabbed-feds-threatening-kill-transphobic-coworkers.amp