We don't know a lot about Deshawnda (Tata) Sanchez, 21, other than that she was in the Chesterfield Square neighborhood of South Los Angeles for some unknown reason, that her twin sister still refers to her as her brother, and that she ran from some people in a car chasing her. She did reach a residence and she pounded on the door of that home, but the owner was asleep inside and took awhile to respond. A neighbor's surveillance system caught video of a white four-door compact pulling into the driveway of that home...after which someone got out of the car and ran up to Deshawnda and shot her several times. The person then got back into the car, which peeled out in reverse.
Residents of the area called in a robbery to 911.
The person who was asleep found Deshawnda on his doorstep. She died there of her wounds.
We believe she was robbed and then the suspect shot her.
--LAPD Detective Chris Barling
Barling said it was unknown if being transgender was a motivation for the shooting.
I cannot say that it is a hate crime at this time. However, we are being open to the fact that it could be a hate crime.
--Barling
Christopher Argyros, manager of the anti-violence project at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, said that there is a disproportionate level of violence against the transgender community, especially transgender people of color. Argyros said his experience is that the person’s identity is almost always a motivator or component of what escalated the violence.
A heart-wrenching but potentially helpful detail in the case is that the killing was caught on a nearby surveillance camera. Diana Williams, Sanchez’s sister, watched it.
The footage, it was heartbreaking
--Diana Williams
Sanchez has been described as an "aspiring college student." She most recently has lived in Compton and Victorville.
I loved her so much. It's just not going to be the same without her here no more.
--Keyoceon Williams, sister, at a Wednesday night vigil
That's my other half. I can't celebrate my birthday; I can't do nothing now. ... My whole heart is missing.
--twin sister, Deshanda Bradley
There was a rally last evening at Chesterfield Square.
#TransLivesMatter, #StopKillingUs!
There seems to be no end in sight to these ongoing tragedies.
--Rev. Darlene Nipper, NGLTF
Here in Southern California, at least three trans women of color have been murdered in the past six months. This is obviously an alarming statistic. We are here, gathering today, to really bring attention to this issue.
--Bamby Salcedo, founder of Translatina Coalition
Nipper, meanwhile, called Sanchez’s death part of an “epidemic” targeting transgender women of color, and black youth and men that is “fueled by hate and discrimination.”