FAIRMOUNT HEIGHTS, Md. — The Prince George's County Homicide Unit detectives have identified and arrested the suspect who is alleged to have shot and killed transgender woman, Zoe Spears, in early June.
The suspect has been identified as 33-year-old Gerardo Thomas, of the 1900 block of W. Lexington Street.
On June 13, at around 11:55 p.m., officers from the Fairmount Heights Police Department arrived to the 600 block of 59th Avenue for a report of an unresponsive female lying on the sidewalk.
The unidentified woman, Spears, was suffering from a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead on the scene.
While searching the crime scene in the hours following the murder, detectives recovered surveillance video that captured the actual murder and the suspect's van.
While receiving an award on behalf of the Prince George's County Police Department's Special Operations Division, Aviation Section, in Omaha, Nebraska, Chief Stawinski applauded the commitment of the Criminal Investigations Division, which was demonstrated by the tremendous investigative effort poured into this case.
This arrest demonstrates our commitment to our community and to the dignity of every single human being. Your detectives used every resource at their disposal to the fullest extent, but ultimately it was grit and determination that led to the identification of the individual responsible for callously taking Zoe’s life. Homicide Unit detectives worked around the clock on this case throughout the past five weeks, initially with nothing more to go on than a grainy surveillance image of the killer’s van.
Thomas' motive remains under investigation, but, if anyone recognizes him or saw his van in the area around the time of Spears' murder, please call the Homicide Unit at (301) 772-4925.
