ATLANTA — A 21-year-old man out of Norcross was convicted last week for the murder of a 26-year-old transgender woman back in 2021.
Pedro Silva-Renteria was found guilty on charges of:
- Malice Murder
- Felony Murder
- Aggravated Assault
- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
The victim, Sophie Vasquez, was found dead back on May 4. Officers with Brookhaven Police found her lying face down on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds to the face and head.
Officers said both Vasquez and Silva-Renteria were communicating through social media in the months prior; however, Vasquez had eventually stopped replying. The night before the shooting, officers said Vasquez sent a message reply with her address.
Other evidence against Silva-Renteria included video surveillance of him at Vasquez's apartment complex, clothing matching his figure in the video, along with the gun used, plus ammunition.
While Silva-Renteria fled to Texas, he was arrested in August of 2021.
According to a statement from the DeKalb County DA, Silva-Renteria’s defense team attempted to argue that he shot Vasquez out of fear once he learned she was transgender. However, social media messages obtained by the prosecution showed Vasquez was "proud of her identity and had disclosed to Silva-Renteria several times that she was a trans woman. "
According to a study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law in 2021, transgender people are "over four times more likely than cisgender people to experience violent victimization."
Meanwhile, the advocacy group Everytown states that in 2023, there were 35 homicides of transgender and gender-expansive people in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The group adds that guns were used in 80% of these acts.
