
Los Angeles police have arrested a suspect in the murder of Viccky Gutierrez, above, a Pico-Union transgender woman, whose body was discovered Wednesday after firefighters extinguished an apartment fire. Photo: Facebook.
UPDATED: Suspect charged in murder of Viccky Gutierrez
PICO-UNION — Los Angeles police have arrested a suspect in the murder of a Pico-Union transgender woman, whose body was discovered Wednesday after firefighters extinguished an apartment fire.
VICCKY GUTIERREZ
The Los Angeles County Coroner has not yet released the woman’s identity, but friends, who organized a vigil on Friday night, have said the victim is Viccky Gutierrez, who moved from Honduras three years ago.
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SUSPECT ARRESTED
Kevyn Ramirez, 29, of Los Angeles, was arrested Thursday night by the Los Angeles Police Department-FBI Fugitive Task Force after West Bureau Homicide investigators obtained a search warrant and recovered evidence related to Gutierrez’s murder, according to a police department press release. The release doesn’t say where or what evidence was recovered or why the FBI Fugitive Task Force was involved in the arrest.
Police said Ramirez admitted to investigators that he killed Gutierrez after a dispute.
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$2,000,000 BAIL
Ramirez’s bail is set at $2,000,000, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will consider the case for filing on Tuesday, police said.
BODY DISCOVERED
On Wednesday about 3:14 a.m., police were responding to a radio call of a fight in the 1700 block of South New Hampshire, but before officers arrived, the Los Angeles Fire Department received a call to the same location of a fire that had engulfed one unit in the two-story apartment, according to the news release.
Firefighters extinguished the fire within 45 minutes and then found Gutierrez’s charred body.
SUBMITTING INFORMATION
Anyone with information regarding the fire death can contact Los Angeles Police Department’s West Bureau Homicide, 213-382-9470. During non-business hours or on weekends, call 1-877-527-3247.
Anyone who wants to remain anonymous can call Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers, 800-222-8477, or visit lacrimestoppers.org.
Tipsters also can visit lapdonline.org, and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the “Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip. Tipsters can also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.