Reyna Hernandez, a Latina Trans Woman Missing Since February, Has Been Found Dead

This blog originally appeared at THEM.

Hernandez, proprietor of Reyna Hair Salon in Renton, WA, has a suspect in custody, according to the police.

Reyna Hernandez, a Latina transgender woman and salon owner from Washington, was discovered deceased in a cemetery in northern Mexico, officials have verified. She was 54 years old.

Initial reports indicate that Hernandez, who owned Reyna Hair Salon in Renton, WA, vanished on February 26. Subsequently, on March 8, authorities in Mexicali, the capital city of Baja California, Mexico, uncovered a body in a cemetery adjacent to the Tijuana Highway. Renton police later confirmed the deceased individual to be Hernandez via a press release on the department’s Facebook page. Additionally, officials disclosed to local news outlet KCPQ that Hernandez had endured apparent torture prior to her demise: alongside a fatal gunshot wound, her extremities were bound, and she was wrapped in a blanket.

Mexican law enforcement has apprehended a suspect, a 61-year-old resident of Renton, on unrelated charges, as stated in the release. Though the individual’s identity remains undisclosed officially, Hernandez’s family informed KCPQ that he was her partner. Several of Hernandez’s salon patrons also informed KCPQ that she had recently displayed signs of physical abuse. Renton police have categorized Hernandez’s death as a domestic violence case, pledging to collaborate with Mexican authorities for potential extradition of the suspected perpetrator if the crime occurred within U.S. jurisdiction. Furthermore, they intend to pursue kidnapping charges irrespective of the location of the offense.

Sara Carillo, Hernandez’s sister, conveyed to KCPQ that Hernandez had been involved with the suspect for three decades and asserted that she was a victim of domestic abuse. Carillo fondly remembered her sister as a hardworking, kind-hearted “dreamer.”

“In stepping into the salon, I am enveloped by her essence, her joy, and the shared narratives of those who visit,” Carillo recounted to the station in Spanish.

Hernandez’s tragic death follows closely after the murders of three other transgender women in Mexico in January alone, all victims of gunshot wounds. Additionally, in November of the previous year, Jesús Ociel Baena Saucedo, Mexico’s first openly nonbinary judge, was fatally stabbed in their Aguascalientes residence.

“Reyna’s horrific murder brings to the forefront the pervasive threat faced by transgender individuals, particularly trans women of color,” expressed representatives of the TransLatin@ Coalition in a statement mourning the recent losses of Hernandez and 16-year-old Nex Benedict. “These incidents underscore the pressing necessity to address how systemic violence manifests as interpersonal violence against our community.”