Angie Zapata in Greeley, CO

BRIGHTON -- At least 200 people gathered on Wednesday night to mourn an 18-year-old transgender person who was apparently beaten to death last week.

Justin Zapata, who went by the name Angie Zapata and was living as a woman, was found dead in a Greeley apartment in the 2000 block of 4th Street on July 17.

She had fatal wounds to her head and face.

Greeley Police say they don't have the evidence to definitively call Zapata's murder a hate crime, but they are not ruling it out.

Her family and friends remain convinced that was the reason she was killed.

"Why would anybody, you would dare do something like that? Why?" said Alicia Portillo, one of Zapata's friends.

Zapata's funeral service was held Wednesday night in Brighton.

Police believe they are getting close to a suspect.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=96346&catid=339

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• hate
• crime
• transgender
• Angie
• Zapata
• Justin

[transbadboy]

SHUT THE FUCK UP, she was a person, and did not deserve to die at all, she a beautful women. NOT A MAN OR IT, WOMAN!!!!!!!!!

[YukiChoe]

"She"? You are so unclear of the medical conditions surrounding transsexuals, and lazy to educate yourself on it. I guess in the same way you are too lazy to follow the trial and learn that Allen Andrade knew in advance 3 days before her murder, and they were still in a relationship. I guess this is called IGNORANCE. Well, serves you. The world is moving forward while you are stuck in third world.

[clip11]

@loveplant

What the fuck are you talking about? The man, a straight man, was tricked into a gay sex act. I guess that means nothing to you. He should just celebrate diversity, even in his bedroom. I never thought it would be considered hate and bigotry for a straight man to want to only have sex with REAL women. That means women actually born with vaginas, in case that goes over your head.

[clip11]

@heartu24

That was not a her it was a him...and then after it started playing like a girl, it was an it. I guess in the same sense as you would refer to a centipede as an it.

[1666cinnamon]

smh she was not targeted. She was murderd because she led him to think she was female when she was a male. He found out and flipped. Please dont misunderstand he should go to prison Murder is murder and he is WRONG, however they are making seem like he just walked up and killed her cause he hate transgenders that is not the case. He was angry and became violent. Most men that insecure act that way. I dont like the way its portrayed. Tragic for both people

[swatregret]

hahaa this is so funny :) serves this bitch right trying to be a girl.. haha wtf!!

[ese40ounce]

shit like that happens when you wanna fool somebody into thinking your something your not. And people will keep on getting killed in this way unless the person comes right out with it from the start when they meet somebody before anything ever happens at all. I'd fuck somebody up for doing that to me. I wouldn't say I'd go as far as killing them but I can see how that would enrage somebody to the point of losing their cool. Fuck that!!! Look at both sides. She wasn't so innocent in that.

[sweet96635]

It was murdered for tricking the guy into thinking it was a woman, when in fact it was born a man, performing sex on him. After he found out it was really a man, he responded by killing him. It was not a hate crime. It sexually assaulted him and that's why it was killed. I'm not saying the murder is justified, but it's understandable.

[sweet96635]

Zapata sexually assaulted Andrade by pretending he was female when he had sex with him. It's no wonder Andrade reacted the way he did. He shouldn't have killed Zapata but I understand why he did. He is guilty of murder but he is NOT guilty of a hate crime. This ignorance of most people who don't look at this fact sickens me.

He referred to Zapata as "it" in jail recordings not because he hated transgendered people necessarily, but because he hated Zapata.

Open your eyes, people.

[Marstonify]

That fucking freak tried to cheat that poor guy!

[nokkerl]

It was such a faker, unbelivable.

[swatregret]

1:21 sounds like a chipmunk.. lol i bet its a girl trying to be a guy