Los Angeles Police Department has arrested a man in connection with the death of a transgender woman. The LAPD had been investigating the death of Viccky Guiterrez, which many believed was a hate crime, for a week before finding new details about her death.
Guiterrez was killed in a structure fire in Pico Union earlier this month, but there were suspicious circumstances that led people to believe it was a hate crime.
While the LAPD was not convinced that the fire was caused by someone to intentionally kill the transgender woman, the police department then found stab wounds on Guiterrez’s body.
Further investigation confirmed that Guiterrez was killed in a hate crime after she was stabbed and the house she was inside was set on fire.
It didn’t take law enforcement long to find the suspect, Kevin Ramirez. The man, who authorities say met the transgender woman online, was charged with arson and murder.
Our Los Angeles hate crime lawyers at Okabe & Haushalter noted that in addition to arson and murder charges, Ramirez is also being accused of an attempted first-degree robbery.
The man later confessed to stabbing the transgender woman and then intentionally setting the house on fire. Ramirez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Any crime against an LGBTQ group of people or an individual, or any other minority group or people or individuals, must be investigated thoroughly and fairly for all.
After all, more often than not, investigators and judges tend to jump to conclusions way too fast and find someone guilty of a crime without sufficient evidence. But prosecuting someone for a hate crime is arguably the most serious crime that involves harsh prosecution and serious consequences.
That’s why authorities must have sufficient evidence before accusing someone of a hate crime done against either an individual or several people based solely on either their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or other defining factors, our hate crime attorneys in Los Angeles explain.
More often than not, however, law enforcement, judges and juries in Los Angeles, where hate crimes are more common than in any other area in the U.S., tend to charge people with a hate crime while disregarding the standard of proof of beyond a reasonable doubt.
The consequences of publicly accusing someone of or charging with a hate crime may equal to that of murder, sexual assault or child molestation charges.
In addition to facing severe penalties, including a maximum sentence of life in prison and even the death penalty in serious cases, a person accused of or charged with a hate crime will most likely experience negative consequences after such accusations.
Inability to land a job, earn a living, or enjoy one’s life, being turned into a pariah, or even facing death threats, public humiliation or assaults – this is the life of someone who is being accused of a hate crime in America.
That’s why our best hate crime lawyers in Los Angeles believe that EVERYONE accused of a hate crime should be offered a fair investigation to give them the opportunity to clear themselves of charges.
Hate crime charges and accusations can have a serious effect on one’s life, which is why you should act quickly if you’ve been wrongfully accused of a hate crime. Hiring a Los Angeles hate crime attorney is your best line of defense and should be your first step.
Reach out to our skilled lawyers at Okabe & Haushalter, who have helped thousands of the accused in Los Angeles and all across California to avoid severe punishment, the death penalty, imprisonment and other consequences associated with severe crimes.
Contact our attorneys today to get a free initial consultation. Call at 310-430-7799 or fill out this contact form. We respect your right to confidentiality.
