Via CBS News:
Police say 20-year-old Rico LeBlond shot and killed Zella Ziona, whose legal name was DeAndre Smith, on Oct. 15, because Ziona “began acting flamboyantly towards LeBlond and greatly embarrassed Leblond in front of his peers,” according to charging documents obtained by CBS affiliate WUSA.
Investigators wrote in the document that the suspect and victim has been engaged in a “simmering dispute that had been escalating” as a result of their friendship becoming public.
LeBlond is suspected of shooting Ziona multiple times in the head and groin.
Police are considering hate crime charges against LeBlond, who is already facing a first degree murder charge.
But the victim’s family tells WUSA that they’re already convinced the motive was hate.
“I do believe in my heart that this was a hate crime,” said Kalany Thomas, Ziona’s aunt.
Kalany Thomas and Sade Thomas, a cousin of the victim, both told WUSA that Ziona previously had trouble with people because she was a transgender woman.
“I just want to know why?” Said Sade Thomas. “Why did you take such a beautiful, amazing soul like that and he was never the type of person to hate you or do anything to you?”
Twice as many transgender or gender nonconforming people have been killed in the United States this year compared to last year, according to statistics gathered by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, an advocacy group.
Docket Info:
| Court System: |
DISTRICT COURT FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY – CRIMINAL SYSTEM |
| Case Number: |
4D00348156Tracking No:156337298165 |
| Case Type: |
CRIMINAL |
| District Code: |
06Location Code:01 |
| Document Type: |
STATEMENT OF CHARGES Issued Date:10/17/2015 |
| Case Status: |
ACTIVE |
| Defendant Name: |
LEBLOND, RICO H |
| Race: |
BLACK, AFRICAN AMERICAN |
| Sex: |
M Height:5 08 Weight:150 DOB:12/13/1994 |
| Address: |
_________________ |
| City: |
GERMANTOWN State:MD Zip Code:20874 – 0000 |
Court Scheduling Information
|
| Trial Date: |
11/13/2015 Trial Time:10:00 AM Room:513 |
| Trial Type: |
PRELIMINARY HEARING |
Trial Location:191 EAST JEFFERSON ST ROCKVILLE 20850-2325
Charge and Disposition Information
|
(Each Charge is listed separately. The disposition is listed below the Charge)
| Charge No: |
001Description:MURDER – FIRST DEGREE |
| Statute: |
CR.2.201Description:MURDER – FIRST DEGREE |
| Amended Date: |
CJIS Code:1 0990MO/PLL:Probable Cause:X |
| Incident Date From: |
10/16/2015 |
To: |
10/16/2015 |
Victim Age: |
|
Related Person Information
(Each Person related to the case other than the Defendant is shown)
| Name:BATES, J |
| Connection:COMPLAINANT/POLICE OFFICER |
| Agency Code: |
MCPAgency Sub-Code:WG15Officer ID:2413 |
| Name:SANDLER, SAMANTHA B |
| Connection:ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDER |
| Address: |
191 E JEFFERSON ST |
| City: |
ROCKVILLEState:MDZip Code:20850 – 0000 |
Event History Information
| Event |
Date |
Comment |
| DOCI |
10/17/2015 |
SC ISSUED 151017 |
| INIT |
10/17/2015 |
151017;00000000.00;HWOB;100; ;6637 |
| CMIT |
10/17/2015 |
DEFENDANT COMMITTED;151017;MDC |
| BALR |
10/19/2015 |
151019;00000000.00;HWOB;100; ;9Z8 |
| CMIT |
10/19/2015 |
DEFENDANT COMMITTED;151019;MDC; |
This is an electronic case record. Full case information cannot be made available either because of legal restrictions on access to case records found in Maryland rules 16-1001 through 16-1011, or because of the practical difficulties inherent in reducing a case record into an electronic format.
