Angie Zapata

Angie Zapata was raised in Fort Lupton, Colorado, the second youngest of six children. Early in life, Angie’s family knew that she was transgender, but it wasn’t until around age 16 that she began living her life full-time as Angie. Being a woman was who Angie was - an incredibly loving daughter, sister and aunt. As a transgender woman, she faced harassment, bullying and exclusion — and eventually death. In July 2008, Angie Zapata was brutally murdered with a fire extinguisher because of anti-transgender bias. She was only 18. Zapata is survived by her mother, Maria and siblings Monica, Gonzalo, Stephanie, Ashley, and Nicole.

In high school, Angie endured harassment from other students and received little support from school administrators. In early 2008, Angie dropped out of school and moved to the city of Greeley, where she rented her own apartment. Babysitting her nephew and four nieces became Angie’s full-time job. She planned to move to Denver to pursue her interest in fashion and makeup as a cosmetologist.

A vibrant everyday Greeley teenager, Angie was an integral part of her family and community. Angie’s sister, Monica Zapata, recounted to The New York Times that, “We loved to take her out, because she got so much attention. I couldn’t even take her to Wal-Mart because people would turn around. Everybody knew Angie.” Although her friends and family were supportive, Angie was no stranger to the difficulties of life as a transgender woman. Monica Zapata said of the harassment Angie faced at school: “One time she came home crying saying, ‘Why, Monica, why won’t people accept me?’”

While the precise details of their meeting are not known, it is believed that Angie met the man who has admitted killing her through a mobile social networking site. On July 17, 2008, Angie Zapata was brutally murdered in her Greeley apartment. angie_photo.jpgTwo weeks later, Allen Andrade was arrested. Andrade has been charged with first degree murder, aggravated motor vehicle theft, identify theft and a bias motivated (hate) crime by the Weld County District Attorney.

The trial marks the first time that Colorado’s gender identity-inclusive hate crimes statute has been applied in the investigation and prosecution of an anti-transgender murder case.

She had dreams of moving to Denver, becoming a professional drag queen, and working as a cosmetologist.Zapata cared a lot about her looks, and wanted very much to be a beauty queen, according to her friends and family. She dreamed of being Miss Latina. She had lived in Greeley for about a year, alone, and had faced harassment since moving to town.Zapata and Andrade met through MocoSpace, a social network for mobile phone users. Andrade told police that the two met on July 15, and spent the day together. Zapata drove Andrande back to her apartment.He said Zapata performed oral sex on him, but would not let him touch her. Andrade spent the night at Zapata's apartment, thought the two slept in separate beds.
The next day, while alone in the apartment, Andrade noticed several pictures that led him to question Zapata's gender.When Zapata returned to the apartment, Andrade confronted her. Andrade said he asked Zapata is she was a man or a woman, and Zapata answered, “I am all woman.” He grabbed her crotch area and felt male genitalia. Andrade told authorities that he became angry, grabbed a fire extinguisher from a shelf and struck Zapata twice in the head. He told investigators he thought he'd “killed it.” Andrande wrapped Zapata's body in a blanket and was gather evidence he thought might implicate him when he heard gurgling sounds from Zapata and saw her sit up.He picked up the fire extinguisher and struck her again. He gathered Zapata's purse, keys, the fire extinguisher and his personal belongings, and left the scene in her car.

Zapata's bloody, battered body was discovered by her sister, in her apartment, on July 17. The discovery of her stolen car led authorities to Andrade. Andrade was arrested in the Denver suburb of Thornton, where he lives, and was driving Zapata's 2003 PT Cruiser.On July 31, 2008, Andrade was charged with second degree murder, and motor-vehicle theft in connection with Zapata's murder. The Weld County district attorney, Kenneth R. Buck, announced that he would prosecute Zapata's murder as a hate crime, which carries an additional 18-month sentence if Andrade is convicted.

Angie's killer was recently sentenced to life without parole for her hate-motivated murder.