Angie Zapata
The striking transwoman, Angela Zapata, was only 18 years old when Allen Andrade bludgeoned her to death with a fire extinguisher. The bias-motivated nature of this horrific crime could add 3 years to Andrade’s sentance when his trial begins this coming Tuesday.
From the Associated Press:
Andrade told investigators that he struck Zapata twice in the head with the extinguisher and thought he had “killed it” before hitting her again as she struggled to get up, an arrest affidavit said. The pair met through a mobile networking site and had spent the night…
…A judge last month threw out part of Andrade’s confession, saying police didn’t honor his request to remain silent 39 minutes into his interrogation. Tape-recorded jail calls in which Andrade allegedly told his girlfriend that he “snapped” and that “gay things need to die” will be allowed by District Judge Marcelo Kopcow during the trial.
Andrade is believed to be the first person tried for a hate crime under the sexual orientation section of Colorado’s hate crime law, according to the New York and Los Angeles-based Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD. Colorado is one of 11 states to have such designations in their laws, according to GLAAD.
