Joao “Julia” da Silva, a 23-year-old trans woman, has been missing since family members last saw her leaving her home in North Bay Village, Florida on March 24.
Da Silva is said to frequent the LGBTQ communities in Miami, Miami Beach, and Wilton Manors, according to authorities. She was last seen on camera footage at a petrol station in the South Miami neighborhood near Homestead on Monday night.
When she was last seen, she was dressed in a black tank top, skirt, and pearl necklace, and her hair was curly.
According to a study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, transgender people are four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violence.
The agency claims to be aware of the increased hazards posed to this population.
The investigation is still underway. The North Bay Village Police Department is urging anyone with information on Da Silva’s whereabouts to contact them.
