(KRON) — A Milpitas man who murdered his girlfriend, drag queen Natalia Smut, was sentenced to serve 15-years-to-life in jail.
Elijah Cruz Segura, 26, was sentenced by Santa Clara County Superior Courtroom Decide Hanley Chew on Monday. The case is believed to be the primary prosecution of a transgender home violence murder in Santa Clara County historical past, prosecutors mentioned.
District Lawyer Jeff Rosen mentioned, “We should never forget that a vulnerable member of our community was abused and killed. A sentence, long or short, does not erase that. I urge anyone in an abusive relationship to seek help. You will find resources and respect in our county.”
Smut was a 24-year-old transgender lady. Segura and Smut dated for a number of months main as much as the killing on April 23, 2021, prosecutors mentioned.
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Simply earlier than 2:30 a.m. that morning, Segura referred to as 911 and law enforcement officials responded to a motel on Hillview Courtroom in Milpitas. Officers discovered Segura on the scene with blood on his fingers, and found Smut had been stabbed a number of instances. She died at a hospital.
The DA’s workplace wrote, “Natalia was a celebrated drag queen, and her killing caused pain and shockwaves throughout the Bay Area community.”
A GoFundMe web page for the sufferer’s memorial states, “Everywhere she went, she brought energy, fierce looks, and a personality that shined bright like a diamond.”
Following a trial, jurors discovered Segura responsible of homicide on October 16, 2024.
