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[News in progress, updated 2 PM]

Report by Elena Corvalán, from Salta

Antonella Mirna Di Marzo, a 30-year-old trans woman, died in the early hours of January 27 as a result of a brutal hate crime, after spending three months in a coma. She had been unconscious in intensive care since October 21, when she was attacked by a man outside the Caribe nightclub in General Güemes (50 kilometers from the city of Salta).

READ MORE: Salta: She's trans, she was brutally beaten outside a nightclub and is in serious condition

The judicial investigation has one suspect, José Gustavo Gareca, 44. The case is being handled by Prosecutor Rodrigo González Miralpeix of Criminal Court 3, Unit for Serious Crimes Against Persons. The prosecution formally charged Gareca on October 23, after reviewing security camera footage. Gareca has been detained since then for the crime of attempted aggravated homicide due to gender-based violence against Antonella Mirna Eva Di Marzo.

The charges are expected to change today. Currently, due to the court recess, the investigation is in the hands of Judge Diego Rodríguez Pinino. "But the expanded charges will be filed by the prosecutor," judicial sources reported.

#StopTransFemicides

"With broken hearts, we say goodbye to our friend and comrade Antonella Mirna Di Marzo. Discrimination and violence have a common thread in our lives: death, transfemicide, and travesticide . Destroyed , I scream, and we scream JUSTICE JUSTICE!!! We want justice!!! I'm fed up with them killing my friends and comrades!!!!! Stop it already!! Enough with transfemicides and travesticides," shared activist María Pia Ceballos, a leader of Mujeres Trans Salta, on Facebook. The young trans woman's wake was held yesterday in the city of Güemes.

READ MORE: Investigation into the death of a trans woman in Paraná, she was 33 years old

The hate attack

Based on witness accounts, it was determined that Antonella Mirna left the Caribe nightclub before 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 21. It is believed she was going to get her motorcycle when she was attacked. She was found between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., on the same block as the nightclub, unconscious, with head injuries, and without her underwear. This was not the first time she had been attacked due to prejudice against her gender identity.

According to his sister, Norma Di Marzo, who spoke to Presentes three months ago, Gareca was known as a street vendor selling bread in General Güemes, a commercial town located along National Route 34, which leads to San Salvador de Jujuy. He had previously served time for slitting the throat of a neighbor. On the same day he attacked Antonella, he assaulted another young woman in the same town. Like Antonella Mirna, he struck her on the head, although in this case, the victim was helped by a young passerby. The assailant fled, and at the scene of the second attack, he dropped a purse. It was the purse he had stolen from Antonella Mirna.

Enough with the hate

In General Güemes, marches were held to demand justice for Antonella Mirna and for all LGBTQ+ people. "Stop the hateful practices and incidents against gay, lesbian, and trans people," was one of the slogans chanted on October 26. While the march was initially organized by Antonella Mirna's family and young people mobilized during the abortion legalization debate, it was also supported by the Gender Diversity Department of the General Güemes municipality.