A teenager is wanted on a murder charge in the shooting that killed a transgender woman in Brookhaven earlier this month.
Police announced Pedro Silva-Renteria, 18, of Norcross is wanted in the homicide of 36-year-old Sophie Arrieta Vasquez. She was found dead May 4 after being shot multiple times in her apartment off Windmont Drive.
Investigators said she was killed around 2 a.m., and her body was discovered about six hours later in the doorway of her apartment at The Atlantic Brookhaven. Police have not released a specific motive, but they do not believe it was a hate crime.
“Investigators believe that they know the motive and circumstances surround the murder and nothing in our investigation suggests that the incident was related to the victim’s gender,” Lt. David Snively told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “However, it would not be appropriate for us to share that information until we confirm our understanding of the case by speaking with the suspect directly.”
A GoFundMe page, created by her sister, has raised more than $7,100 for funeral costs.
Police said they obtained arrest warrants for Silva-Renteria last Tuesday, adding that fugitive investigators have been working to take him into custody over the past week. However, authorities are now asking for the public’s help to find him.
Silva-Renteria is 5-foot-10 and weighs approximately 180 pounds, according to a news release. Police said he was walking in the Clairmont Road area of Brookhaven at the time of the May 4 homicide, adding that he might not have a vehicle.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 404-637-0600 or submit an anonymous tip to the Crime Stoppers hotline at 404-577-8477.