THE bodies of two transgender women holidaying in Puerto Rico have been found shot and burnt to death in a car, say cops. A sister of one victim had no idea she had been killed until seeing comments on her sibling’s Facebook page, saying “we are going to miss you”. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said […]
THE bodies of two transgender women holidaying in Puerto Rico have been found shot and burnt to death in a car, say cops.
A sister of one victim had no idea she had been killed until seeing comments on her sibling’s Facebook page, saying “we are going to miss you”.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said it was “deeply saddened to learn of the death of Layla Pelaez Sánchez, a 21-year-old transgender woman killed in Puerto Rico on April 21.
“Sánchez was killed alongside Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos, 32, who was also transgender.”
Serena’s sister, Francheska Alvarado, told CBS News that she had not immediately been told of her death.
Tragically, she had been booked to return to return home to Queens, New York, at the end of April, after holidaying in Puerto Rico since March.
Francheska first became concerned about her sister when she noticed comments on her sibling’s Facebook page, saying “I’m sorry for what happened” and “We are going to miss you”.
But she received no response from her sister when she texted her.
A phone call then confirmed her worst fears – Serena had been murdered on vacation.
Francheska told CBS: “I was in complete shock and disbelief because my sister was a great person.
“She was never in the streets. She was just herself.”
Francheska wants the cops in Puerto Rico to investigate an alleged Snapchat video that shows both women and two men lying on her sister’s bed hours before they were found murdered in the street.
Serena and Layla, like us all, had family, dreams, hopes, and they did not deserve to die.
HRC, tribute
HRC activists said the women’s deaths “are believed to be the seventh and eighth violent deaths of a transgender or gender non-conforming person this year in the US.
“In 2020, four of the eight deaths of trans and gender-non conforming people have been in Puerto Rico.
“HRC is mourning alongside the loved ones of Serena and Layla, the people of Puerto Rico and the entire transgender community.”
Spokesperson Tori Cooper added: “Serena and Layla, like us all, had family, dreams, hopes, and they did not deserve to die.
“Transgender and gender non-conforming people, especially women of color, are too often the victims of a toxic mix of transphobia, racism and misogyny.
“People and policy must work together to protect our lives and our well-being. HRC stands in solidarity with all who knew and loved them.”
Primera Hora reports that police are looking for the killers of the two transsexual women who were shot and burned early Tuesday morning.
Their remains were found in a burnt-out car under a bridge in the Mambiche Prieto neighborhood in Humacao.
The website said both victims were identified by the mom of one of the victims – the registered owner of the Hyundai Elantra car.
Captain Teddy Morales, director of the Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) of Humacao, told Primera that officers were trying to track down those who had been with the women prior to the double murder.
He said that no motive has as yet been established.
Captain Morales said the force was “not prejudiced by their sexual orientation or the community to which they belong – it is that these cases are extremely complicated.
“We do not have a motive, but we discard drug trafficking and theft.”
Campaign group CABE (Comprehensive Committee for the Search for Equity) demanded that the authorities investigate the double murder as a violent hate crime.
Activist Ivana Fred said: “We demand that the police adequately, immediately and sensitively investigate these vile and atrocious murders of Serena and Layla.
“There have already been four murders of trans people in less than two months. Stop.
“Trans people deserve to live in peace, equity and freedom. Enough of so much hatred.”
CABE said that over the past 15 months, eight deaths from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) communities have occurred in violent circumstances without the attacker being brought to justice.
Osvaldo Burgos, CABE spokesman, said on Facebook: “We acknowledge that there is an coronavirus emergency.
“But we cannot forget the other emergency that causes violence against [LGBT] people and possible hate crimes that have occurred in the past 15 months.
“The Police have the obligation to disclose the status of the investigations of at least seven murders, one death without a specific cause and several attacks in which [LGBT] people have been injured since January 2020.”
