Content warning: This article contains descriptions of violence against Trans women.

Aggression and violence against Transgender people persists. Earlier this year, Mexico's LGBTQ+ community took to the streets in protest after three Transgender people were killed in the first two weeks of the new year.

Now Reyna Hernandez — a Trans Latina and Renton resident — was recently found dead in a cemetery in Mexico, bound by her hands and feet, shot in the head, and wrapped in a blanket.

"Renton police detectives have taken over the investigation into the kidnapping and death of Reyna Hernandez. We had her body transferred to the King County Medical Examiner for an autopsy," Meeghan Black, Renton Police Department's public information officer, told the SGN.

Hernandez was an independent small business owner who operated Reyna Hair Salon, located at 3219 Sunset Boulevard NE. The 54-year-old went to run errands on Feb. 26 but never came home. Friends reported Hernandez missing on February 28 after not opening up her business or responding to calls and texts, according to the RPD.

A Mexicali news article alerted Renton detectives to an unidentified body found in a local cemetery off Tijuana Highway on March 8, and during that weekend, investigators identified the body as Hernandez.

A 61-year-old suspect was arrested by Mexican law enforcement officials on unrelated charges, and Hernandez's vehicle was recovered. Detectives are considering the case a domestic violence crime.

"They had been in a relationship, and he is still in Mexico," Black said.

Fox13 TV station in Seattle reported on Hernandez and her previous experiences as a victim of domestic violence: before she went missing, her clients saw her with a black eye.

"This is the worst possible outcome, and our hearts go out to Reyna's family and friends," Investigations Commander Chandler Swain said in a statement. "We are working closely with Mexicali police and our US federal partners to determine when and where Reyna was killed."

Renton police detectives are also working with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to build a case against the suspect.

"Typically, in an investigation like this, we build our case, the prosecutor files charges, and then a warrant is issued for the suspect. At that time, we would work with local and federal authorities to extradite the suspect to Washington state to stand trial," Black said.

Black added that Renton PD will continue to collaborate with Mexican law enforcement officials to facilitate this process.