VICTIM OF BEATING CALLED TRANSVESTITE PROSTITUTE.

Byline: Josh Kleinbaum Staff Writer

NORTHRIDGE - A 50-year-old man who was living in his mother's home in a quiet middle-class neighborhood killed a transvestite prostitute earlier this week with a garden hoe after bringing him back to the house, police said Tuesday.

John Freeman of Northridge had been arrested Sunday on suspicion of murder. Police said his mother was out of town when he picked up the 31-year-old transvestite prostitute Sunday morning and brought him to the house in the 19000 block of Kingsbury Street.

The victim, who had prior arrests on suspicion of prostitution, wore women's clothing to Freeman's house but was naked at the time of the beating, homicide Detective Terry Kaiser of the Los Angeles Police Department said.

An argument began inside the house and then spilled into the back yard, where Freeman attacked the victim with his fists, feet and a hoe, police said.

``It's unknown what occurred inside the house,'' Kaiser said. ``The victim wound up in the back yard, naked and distraught.''

Neighbors reported the assault to police at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. When officers responded, Freeman was still in the back yard and kicking the victim, Kaiser said.

The victim was taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where he died, officials said. His name was not released pending notification of his family.

``At this time, we don't have any evidence of a hate crime,'' Kaiser said. ``We don't believe hate was the motivation. It seems like there was already a relationship between them.''

On Tuesday along Kingsbury, where well-tended homes perch above the street, neighbors expressed shock.

Some said they arrived home after church or errands Sunday and saw Freeman outside, dressed in pajamas and wearing handcuffs, while rescue workers administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the victim.

``He was your average, friendly person,'' one neighbor said. ``It's very upsetting. He comes from an upstanding family.''

Freeman had been seen working around his mother's home, stringing lights for the holidays and tending to other chores.

``At first I thought of his mother and wondered if something happened to her,'' said another neighbor, who pulled into her driveway Sunday and saw dozens of police cruisers surrounding Freeman's home. ``Then we all thought it was a breaking-and-entering situation.''

A neighbor who had overheard the confrontation between Freeman and the victim said he had felt frightened.

``This is the kind of neighborhood where, except for the wind, there's never any noise,'' he said. ``If we see one firetruck, we all wonder what happened.''

The responding officers said the victim appeared to have small breasts, although police are not sure whether they were surgically implanted or produced using hormones.

While police aren't certain of the motive, they don't believe Freeman had suddenly discovered that the prostitute was a man. Kaiser said Freeman and the victim had a casual relationship in the past, and police believe Freeman knew the victim had male anatomy.

Staff Writer Susan Abram contributed to this story.

Josh Kleinbaum, [phone]

josh.kleinbaum(at)dailynews.com