Arrest Made in Murder of Islan Nettles

An arrest has been made in the beating death of a transgender woman, according to the victim's mother.

Delores Nettles told DNA Info on Tuesday that prosecutors have informed her of an arrest in the 2013 killing of her daughter, 21-year-old Islan Nettles.


"I'm overwhelmed," Nettles said. "I still want to know the facts, but it's been a long time coming."

The New York Daily News reports that the suspect is 21-year-old James Dixon.

He was charged with manslaughter and assault.

On Aug. 17, 2013, Nettles was walking with friends in the early morning near her home in Harlem when they ran into a group of young men outside a police precinct. A fight ensued, and Nettles, who was knocked to the ground and beaten by one of the young men, slipped into a coma. A few days later, she died.

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