Two arrested after transgender murders

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Two arrests have been made in Charlotte following the murder of two Black transgender women, law enforcement officials said Friday.

Dontarius Long, 21, and Joel Brewer, 33, were charged Friday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officials said. Long and Brewer are both accused of murder and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, among other charges, police records show.

“Our streets are a lot safer,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings at a news conference announcing the arrests.

The police investigation into the shooting deaths of the two women is ongoing, officials said. Multiple police agencies were involved in the murder investigations, including the FBI and police in Union County and in South Carolina.

On Thursday, CMPD warned that someone might be targeting local trans women who engage in sex work.

Officials said there has “never been a more vulnerable time” for them.

Jaida Peterson, 29, was discovered in a hotel room at Quality Inn near the airport, on April 4, Easter Sunday. She had been shot, according to CMPD. Her funeral took place Tuesday in South Carolina and loved ones held a vigil last week for her in Charlotte.

Eleven days later, police were called to a hotel in University City. At the Sleep Inn, located on North Tryon Street, early Thursday morning, police officers found a 28-year-old transgender woman fatally shot.

Social media posts from friends and loved ones identify the second victim as Remy. CMPD officials say her last name is Fennell. She was 28.