Transgender woman found stabbed to death in burned van nuys apartment

[gorgeousnsexyts]

A search is underway for a man after his girlfriend was found stabbed to death at the scene of an apartment fire in Van Nuys on Saturday.

The fire at the two-story structure was reported shortly after 5 a.m. in the 14600 block of Saticoy Street.

Firefighters entered the apartment and encountered a rear bedroom on fire. They also found a woman stabbed to death on the kitchen floor. Investigators said the victim's body may have possibly been burned.

The victim lived at the location with her boyfriend, whom authorities have since identified as the prime suspect.

Neighbors say that the female victim and her boyfriend had recently moved into the apartment complex. Friends say the woman was open about being transgender.

Detective Robert Bub of the Los Angeles Police Department's Van Nuys Division said neighbors heard arguing coming from the apartment around 4 a.m., shortly before the fire. Police, however, were not called.

A picture or name of the suspect has not been released.

[gorgeousnsexyts]

Ladies, please protect yourself and get a taser. I carry 1 in my purse and have 1 in my bedroom. You can buy taser at your neighborhood surplus store for $100 no license or permit needed. It is legal to own a taser it is worth every pennies.


God Bless Us Girls.

[GroobySteven]

Ladies, please protect yourself and get a taser. I carry 1 in my purse and have 1 in my bedroom. You can buy taser at your neighborhood surplus store for $100 no license or permit needed. It is legal to own a taser it is worth every pennies.


God Bless Us Girls.


Fair point - but this was domestic and unlikely that a taser would have made a difference.

[Ben in LA]

Damn I hope it wasn't anyone I knew...

[GroobySteven]

Damn I hope it wasn't anyone I knew...

I've been putting out feelers.
It's in that area ... I wouldn't be surprised.

[CoolAwesomeBXDude]

i hope it aint one i know either

:0

[GroobySteven]

Ok, as I thought it might be, it was a model who has worked with us (many models we work with live in those areas).

Her name was Ilza and she was in a solo shoot by Buddy Wood in early 2014.

Very sad.
RIP.

http://laist.com/2015/02/01/transgender_woman_murder_fire.php

[CORVETTEDUDE]

Rest In Peace.

[dreamon]

People can really be awful.

[Idt20082008"]

Rest in peace. So senseless and unnecessary. Find the guy and throw him in jail where he belongs

[Tapatio]

Vigil tonight at 6 in Van Nuys- 14600 Saticoy.

Vigils shouldn't have to happen- but people should show up when they do.

[Odelay]

Terribly sad news. Beautiful girl. No one deserves such a fate.

[natina]

Pastor Accompanies Man Confessing To Transgender Woman's Murder


A man turned himself in to police yesterday for the murder of a transgender woman (http://laist.com/2015/02/01/transgender_woman_murder_fire.php) on Saturday morning.

Ezekiel Dear, 25, showed up at the LAPD 77th Station in Van Nuys yesterday afternoon at about 3:30 p.m, ABC 7 reports (http://abc7.com/news/person-of-interest-in-murder-of-transgender-woman-in-van-nuys-turns-himself-in/500341/). Accompanying him was a local pastor. LAPD Capt. Lillian Carranza told KCAL (http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/02/01/authorities-identify-transgender-woman-murdered-in-van-nuys-apartment-fire/) that Dear had gone to the pastor for help, and that the pastor then took him to the police station where Dear surrendered.
Dear was the boyfriend of Yazmin Vash Payne, a 33-year-old transgender woman who was discovered dead by firefighters in an apartment in the 14600 block of Saticoy Street in Van Nuys that the couple shared. Fire crews responded at about 5 a.m. on Saturday morning to a fire in the apartment, extinguished a small fire in a bedroom and discovered Payne's body in the kitchen. She had been stabbed several times and was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities found the murder weapon in the apartment.
Neighbors said that the couple, who had only recently moved into the building, fought constantly and had been arguing the night before the fire.
Payne's first name was initially reported by police as Michelle, and some had known the victim as Michael Vash Payne, KPCC reports (http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/02/01/49590/police-seek-information-in-murder-of-van-nuys-tran/). A vigil was held outside Payne's apartment yesterday evening, with many protesting violence against transgender people. Darlene Nipper, Deputy Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, said, "Three transgender women of color have been killed in the last four months in Los Angeles and there seems to be no end in sight to these tragic homicides," City News Service reports. Investigators are regarding Payne's murder as an act of domestic violence


http://laist.com/2015/02/02/a_man_turned_himself_in.php

[natina]

Candlight Vigil Held For Transgender Woman, Boyfriend Arrested

VAN NUYS (CBSLA.com) — A man has been arrested for the murder of a 33-year-old transgender woman in Van Nuys.
The victim’s boyfriend, Ezekiel Jamal Dear, 25, turned himself into authorities late Sunday, the LAPD said.
Yazmin Vash Payne, also known as Michael, was found earlier that day with multiple stab wounds (http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/01/31/foul-play-suspected-in-van-nuys-fire/) when crews responded to a report of a fire at her apartment in the 14600 block of Saticoy Street.
Authorities said they discovered Payne’s body when they forced their way into the apartment. They quickly extinguished a small fire in the rear bedroom and then found the victim lying on the kitchen floor.
Paramedics pronounced Payne dead at the scene.
“There’s some of the physical evidence that is lost because of the fire,” said LAPD Det. Robert Bub. “The fire itself, and how it was started, and where it spreads from provides it’s own clues

Payne reportedly lived Dear at the apartment, according to neighbors.
Those residents reported hearing arguments throughout the night before the fire broke out, but explained it wasn’t something out of the ordinary for the couple.
According to detectives, they were able to recover the murder weapon at the scene.
Dear turned himself in after confiding in a pastor.
“He approached the pastor and wanted his help. At that point, the pastor took him to the 77th Station where he surrendered to the police department without incident,” Capt. Lillian Carranza said.
A vigil was held Sunday outside Payne’s apartment to honor her and march down Saticoy Street in protest. They said they didn’t know Payne, but they still felt compelled to come.
“She belonged to somebody, she was somebody’s child, someone cared for her,” Jazzmun Crayton said. “She chose to live a life that was pleasing to her, and it’s not fair, it didn’t make sense and it’s not right.”
“They’re killing us and nobody cares,” Bamby Salcedo. “This is not an isolated incident. And it’s important that the LAPD continues to do what they’re supposed to do.”

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/02/01/authorities-identify-transgender-woman-murdered-in-van-nuys-apartment-fire/

[wearboots4me]

Sad. My condolences to her loved ones.

[Tapatio]

He entered a plea of not guilty, of course.

[nysprod]

Doesn't necessarily mean it's related to her being transgender...could just be a bf-gf thing gone horribly wrong.

[GroobySteven]

Doesn't necessarily mean it's related to her being transgender...could just be a bf-gf thing gone horribly wrong.


Absolutely.
I think people need to differentiate hate crimes from crimes which would have happened regardless of the gender or sexuality, otherwise it devalues (not quite the right word I'm looking for), the hate crime and the punishment for it, and the ways we can stop it.

[Michelle Firestone]

God :(