Erykah Tijerina, Transgender Woman, Found Dead in El Paso Home

Transgender woman Erykah Tijerina was found dead in her apartment in El Paso, Texas, on Monday, KFOX14 reports. Tijerina was 36.

A police officer who entered the apartment discovered "obvious signs of foul play," according to KFOX14. Police began their homicide investigation Monday night and have remained on the scene since. 

Tijerina's sisters fear this was a hate crime, though not much is known right now. 

"We're still in shock about it," Pearl Tijerina told KFOX14. "It was unexpected."

Erykah Tijerina was "funny, giving and unapologetic," according to her sisters. 

"She's the one that told me to stay strong and not care," Pearl Tijerina said.

In July, three transgender women were reportedly killed in the United States: Washington, D.C.'s  Deeniquia Dodds, Mississippi's Dee Whigham and Cleveland's Skye Mockabee.

Of the 24 reported hate violence homicides of LGBTQ people in 2015, 67% were transgender or gender nonconforming, according to the NYCAVP's annual report on hate violence. Thirteen of the 24 — 54% of those killed — were trans women of color.

Tijerina's family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for Tijerina's funeral. 

This post will be updated as more details come in.