Features

Fourth suspect charged in killing of transgender teen

The Associated Press
Wednesday November 20, 2002

FREMONT – A fourth suspect in the beating and strangling death of a Newark transgender teen has been charged with murder, almost a month after Eddie “Gwen” Araujo was killed at a party when it was discovered the youth was male instead of female. 

Unlike the other three defendants in the case, Jason Cazares, 22, of Fremont, was not charged with a hate crime when he appeared in Alameda County Superior Court on Monday. He delayed entering a plea until Friday. 

Cazares admitted to being at the Oct. 3 party where Araujo allegedly was killed, but he has revealed little else to police about what happened that night. 

Police and prosecutors revealed few details linking Cazares to the crime. He is being held at the Santa Rita Jail without bail, along with the other defendants in the case. Police did confiscate two shovels, a pickax, a spade and a hoe from a shed belonging to Cazares’ parents, court documents show. 

Newark Police Lt. Tom Milner declined to comment on whether police believe the tools were used in the slaying. 

Cazares’ mother, Elizabeth Cazares, told police that, to the best of her knowledge, her son had not used the shovels, according to court records. 

Last month, another suspect led authorities to a shallow grave 150 miles east of San Francisco in the Sierra foothills two weeks after the party from which Araujo disappeared. The 17-year-old was found buried — wrists and ankles bound — in the miniskirt the victim was last seen wearing while going by the name “Lida.” 

Witnesses told police Araujo was beaten, dragged half-conscious into the garage and strangled with a rope after a girl at the party discovered the teen was anatomically male, according to court documents. 

Three other men also have been arrested and charged with murder boosted by a hate-crime enhancement. Jaron Nabors, 19, has pleaded innocent, while Jose Antonio Merel and Michael William Magidson, both 22, have not yet entered pleas. A hearing date has been set for Dec. 13. 

The investigation into Araujo’s death is still ongoing, police say.