Murder of Angie Zapata

Zapata was born on August 5, 1989, in Brighton, Colorado. From an early age, Zapata was feminine and expressed an attraction to boys. In middle school, Zapata disclosed her female gender identity to family and close friends. She adopted the name "Angie" when amongst family, while presenting as male in public. At the age of 16, she began living full-time as a woman. Zapata had three sisters and an older brother, Gonzalo. Her family was supportive, although her mother worried for her safety. ==Murder and trial==

Zapata was 18 when she met Allen Andrade (aged 31 at the time) through the mobile phone social network MocoSpace. In the arrest affidavit, Andrade said he thought he had "killed it" before leaving in Zapata's car with the murder weapon and other incriminating evidence. Andrade was arrested near his residence driving Zapata's car. The possibility of prosecuting the case as a hate crime was pressed by Zapata's family. The actual trial began on April 16, 2009. During the trial, the jury heard jailhouse conversations in which Andrade told a girlfriend that "gay things must die". On April 22, 2009, Andrade was found guilty of first-degree murder, hate crimes, aggravated motor vehicle theft, and identity theft. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. == Dedication ==

The 2011 novel The Butterfly and the Flame by Dana De Young was dedicated in part to Zapata's memory. Ozomatli references Zapata in their song "Gay Vatos in Love", on their 2010 album Fire Away. ==See also==