Norcross Man Convicted of Murder in Shooting Death of Transgender Woman

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the conviction of 21-year-old Pedro Silva-Renteria in the 2021 shooting death of Sophie Vasquez, 36, a transgender woman. A jury on October 10, 2024, found Silva-Renteria guilty of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony.

The incident occurred on May 4, 2021. Brookhaven Police responded to a report of a person shot at Vasquez’s apartment on Windmont Drive just after 8 a.m. Upon arrival, officers found Vasquez lying face down near her front door, having been shot multiple times in the head and face. According to investigators, a neighbor reported hearing gunshots around 3:45 a.m., and doorbell camera footage showed a man arriving at the apartment complex at 2:50 a.m. and returning to Vasquez’s apartment around 3:45 a.m., shortly before the shots were heard.

Further investigation into Vasquez’s cellphone revealed that she and Silva-Renteria had been communicating through social media for months leading up to the incident. While Vasquez had stopped responding to his messages earlier in the year, she resumed communication with Silva-Renteria on May 3, 2021. At his request, Vasquez shared her address, and Silva-Renteria arrived at her apartment shortly after 2:50 a.m. on May 4, matching the timeframe of the surveillance footage.

Police later executed a search warrant at the home of Silva-Renteria’s parents, where they discovered clothing matching the outfit seen in the surveillance video, as well as the murder weapon and ammunition. Silva-Renteria fled to Texas following the incident and was arrested there on August 5, 2021.

During the trial, Silva-Renteria’s defense team argued that he shot Vasquez in fear after discovering she was a transgender woman. However, social media exchanges between the two showed that Vasquez had repeatedly disclosed her identity as a transgender woman, and investigators found no evidence that Silva-Renteria was unaware of this before the night of the murder.

The case was handled by the DeKalb County Homicide and Gangs Unit, with Senior Assistant District Attorneys Connor Payne and Elizabeth Tarver leading the prosecution, alongside District Attorney Investigator Michael Sheppard and Victim Advocate Christy Palmer. Brookhaven Police Department Investigators T. Lewis and J. Avelar led the initial investigation.

Sentencing for Silva-Renteria is scheduled for November 8, 2024, before DeKalb County Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson.