Vigil planned in Dallas to honor murdered transgender woman
DALLAS - Police need the public's help to find whoever killed a transgender woman inside her North Dallas apartment.
Dallas police say someone strangled 26-year-old Carla Flores-Pavon Wednesday afternoon.
Someone inside the apartment was able to call 911 and give a vague description of the killer. Otherwise, there are few leads in the case that has neighbors concerned.
At this point, investigators say there is no evidence that indicates this was a hate crime. Still, the way in which Pavon was murdered, has other women worried about their own safety.
It was inside an apartment at the Citadel at Preston in North Dallas where police say Pavon was strangled.
"According to a witness, an unknown Latin male, approximately 6 feet tall with short dark hair, was seen leaving the victim's apartment shortly before she was found unconscious," explained Dallas Police Deputy Chief Thomas Castro.
Investigators are trying to retrace Pavon's final steps to try to figure out who the mystery man and determine if he's the killer. They also want to know if this was a random or targeted attack.
"That's something we're looking into," Castro said. "We don't know how this victim and male came into contact at this point."
Leslie McMurray is an advocate for the transgender community. While police say there is no evidence it was a hate crime, McMurray says Pavon's murder has transgender women she knows on edge.
"I'm angered because this continues to happen. This is the ninth transgender woman to be murdered in the United States this year," she said. "My first thoughts are sadness because she's somebody's little girl. Nobody deserves that kind of treatment."
Anyone with information is urged to call the Dallas Police Department.
A vigil is scheduled for for 2:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas.
The church is located at 5910 Cedar Springs Road.