Transgender woman murdered in Frankford

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) The LGBT community is rocked by the brutal murder of a transgender woman in Frankford. The 25-year-old was found on a street badly injured on Saturday night. She died a short time later.

25-year-old Maya Young, a transgender woman, was stabbed and left for dead in Frankford. Her murder sent shockwaves through the community.

Myah Graves is a friend of the victim. She's struggling to understand why this happened.

"Maya is definitely somebody who was a sweet person so the idea of somebody trying to hurt her is unimaginable," Myah told FOX 29.

Police found Maya outside at 4800 Penn Street just before midnight Saturday. Police say she was stabbed in the neck and chest. Police drove her to Frankford Aria Hospital where she died shortly after.

Naiymah Sanchez is coordinator of the Trans Health Information Project of Philadelphia.

"Keisha was just murdered and before that London was murdered. We're on our 7th murder in Philadelphia of trans women of color," she said.

Graves hopes her friend's killer will be caught soon. Meanwhile. she is remembering young as the kind girl she met a year and a half ago.

"Maya was a very funny girl. She was very honest, trustworthy someone you could talk to with open arms, not quick to judge you and I really respected her for that."

Police are still investigating a motive for the killing. There's a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.