The suspect was thrown into a small stream in Colombia in a brutal killing of trans women

Colombian police arrested a suspect in the brutal killing of a transgender woman who was thrown into a stream with a broken limb, sparking angry protests in South American countries amid hate crimes.

Sara Millerey, 32, died in the hospital after being evacuated from the creek by firefighters, but before bystanders filmed her drowning video and distributed it online.

The attack, which took place in Belo, near Medellin, the western city of Antiochia, caused a surge of shock and anger and inspired fear in transgender communities.

Sara's mother, Sandra Borja, told El Pais that she was with her daughter's last moments.

"I knelt down and hugged her and told her that I loved her very much." "I told her that she was going to be with God because no one in heaven would humiliate or discriminate against her because of her identity."

Women fighting Sara Millerey women tortured and killed in Colombia
Demonstrators held signs and candles as they protested against Sara Millerey on April 9, 2025. By Getty Images

Police said Wednesday it arrested a suspect, a gang member, who now faces charges of torture and aggravated homicide and has a 70-year prison term.

President Gustavo Petro condemned the crime he called the "ignorant person" trying to "remove the differences between individuals."

The Colombian Ombudsman's Office said 13 transgender women have been murdered in the country so far this year. However, the Washington Office of Latin America, citing data from the Caribbean city of Afirmativo, reported that so far, more than 24 LGBTQ+ people in Colombia have been murdered in 2025.

"Since many LGBTQ+ cases are not specified, this number is a primer," the group said.

Throughout the entire process in 2024, the official number is 31.

Last year, the Ombudsman's Office also reported 258 cases of violence against members of the LGBTQI+ community - a 23% increase in 2023.

According to the Caribbean City (Caribe Afirmativo), the infamous poison rest Pablo Escobar, the birthplace of Pablo Escobar, has increased in particular.

Hate crimes in the region are reportedly “represent half of the country’s total.”

Congress is discussing a bill that aims to strengthen the rights of trans people and punish hate crimes they commit.