Los Angeles police have arrested a suspect in the brutal June killing of a 27-year-old transgender woman in Philadelphia.

According to NBC Philadelphia, police officials confirmed on Monday that Akhenaton Jones was arrested in Los Angeles for the killing of Dominique Fells.

When police discovered Fells’ body this summer, her legs had been severed and her body was thrown into a river where it had washed up near Southwest Philadelphia.

Police located her legs inside of a trash bag at the bottom of the river during a separate search, NBC Philadelphia reports.

According to the Insider, Philadelphia police named Jones as one of its most wanted criminals and considered him an armed threat earlier this year. Fells’ relatives said they are committed to finding justice for the 27-year-old and keeping her memory alive.

Man Accused Of Murdering & Dismembering #DominiqueFells Captured In California https://t.co/MJwqwu13e6 ???????? #AkhenatonJones

Akhenaton “Akh” Jones, the man who allegedly murdered and dismembered Dominique Fells, a Philadelphia transgender woman, has been captured in California. pic.twitter.com/mBfoHZD73x

— IceCreamConvos.com (@IceCreamConvos) November 11, 2020

"We're hoping that Dominique will get justice, and we're confident it will happen. The gruesomeness, the heinousness of this crime is just unfathomable to me. We can't believe that a human being would do this to another human being,” Germyce Williams, Fells’ aunt, said.

Williams added that it's important her family helps bring issues facing the transgender community to light.

"Our goal in all of this, if any good can come from this, is that we're going to keep Dominique's memory alive," she said. "We're going to just make the general public more aware of trans issues. Trans are people, too. And when we say Black lives matter, all Black lives matter, that includes trans people."

A friend of the 27-year-old aspiring model said Fells, who also went by Rem’mie, was working on making some life changes.

"She was going through a transitional period, trying to put some distance between an old life and a new one," Kendall Stephens said.

A talented creator and passionate fashionista, Fells was loved by her family for her uniqueness and individuality, her father said.

“She was a person who could light up a room even when she was being quiet," Fells' father told NBC. "The one thing that stood out about her is she did her own thing with confidence, which as a family we all embraced.”

In Jan. 2019, Fells launched "Rock the Runway: A Trans Empowerment Fashion Show" hosted by Morris Home, a residential treatment program in Philadelphia that supports local transgender people, the Insider reports.

Fells was among a group of Black trans people killed during Pride Month this year, as Blavity previously reported.

Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs released a statement on her death this summer.

"The pain of such a loss is always difficult, but it is especially deep as we are in the midst of Pride month—a season typically filled with joy and celebration for many in our community. As thousands take to the streets to proclaim that Black Lives Matter, it is critical we remember that this includes Black trans lives. Dominique Rem’mie Fells’ life mattered," the statement read.

“We are reminded with this, and countless other painful losses—especially within our transgender communities—that there is much left to do until we achieve full equality, respect, and support for us all. The murder of transgender people—especially those of color—is truly an epidemic, and a crisis that we cannot afford to allow to persist any further," the statement added.

According to NBC Philadelphia, police are waiting for the suspect to be extradited to Philadelphia, where the crime occurred. Officials have not confirmed if Jones has legal representation.

Akhenaton-Jones

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