An 18-year-old was arrested in Texas months after being charged with the shooting death of a transgender woman in Brookhaven.
Pedro Silva-Renteria, 18, of Norcross was arrested Thursday on murder charges near Grand Prairie, Texas, according to Brookhaven police. He’s accused of shooting and killing 36-year-old Sophie Arrieta Vasquez, who was found dead May 4 in her apartment off Windmont Drive.
Credit: Courtesy of Go Fund Me
Credit: Courtesy of Go Fund Me
Investigators said she was killed about 2 a.m., and her body was discovered about six hours later in the doorway of her apartment at The Atlantic Brookhaven. Silva-Renteria was named as the suspect about two weeks later.
Police spokesman Lt. David Snively previously said investigators believe they know Silva-Renteria’s motive, but they did not release it. He said they don’t believe it was a hate crime or that Vasquez’s gender was why she was targeted.
“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,” Snively told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May.
Silva-Renteria will be held in Texas pending extradition to Georgia. Brookhaven police said additional charges are expected.
“While we all must be patient as the wheels of justice turn, I hope that the progress made in this case brings a little relief for the friends and extended family of Sophie Vasquez,” Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst said in an emailed statement.
The suspect was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and Grand Prairie police. Brookhaven police’s investigation is ongoing. 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.
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