FAIRMOUNT HEIGHTS, Md. — A man has been arrested after 23-year-old Zoe Spears was shot to death in Prince George's County, Md. in June.
The arrest of 33-year-old Gerardo Thomas of Baltimore, Md. was announced on Thursday. Police said the motive for the murder is unknown at this time.
On Thursday, June 13, police were called to the 600 block of 59th Ave., in Fairmount Heights, Md. to check on the welfare of Spears. Upon arrival, officers found Spears dead after being shot.
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Officials from Casa Ruby, a local LGBTQ community center, told WUSA9 that Spears had been in and out of their center for the last two years and had been there in last two weeks before her death.
Spears died less than a half mile away from where her friend, 27-year-old Ashanti Carmon, was gunned down on March 30 on Jost Street near Eastern Avenue just across the D.C. line in Prince George’s County. Carmon was also a transgender woman.
Both Carmon and Spears were close – Spears told confidants she suspected who killed her friend three months ago. Both women turned to prostitution to augment small incomes, risking their lives in the dangerous corridor of Eastern Avenue.
The Prince George's County Police Department said they do not believe the murders are connected.
There's been a string of violent incidents in the area, including the murders of Spears and Carmon. A gay couple was attacked and robbed on U Street. There was also a stabbing inside a Dupont Circle gay bar.
Previously, police did not release many details about the murders due to the ongoing investigations.
In response to these cases, police announced on Thursday that a LGBT task force has been created to speak with the community.
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If anyone recognizes Thomas or saw the van pictured below, please contact Prince George's County police with any information.
