Man charged with murdering his ‘proud’ trans girlfriend Eryka Caldwell
Eryka Caldwell (Instagram/euphoric_intentions)
Eryka Caldwell, a 41-year-old transgender woman described as beloved by her community, was stabbed to death in her Bushwick, Brooklyn apartment on Sunday morning.
Police arrested her boyfriend, 38-year-old Jonathan Fernandez, at the scene and have charged him with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
He was arraigned on Monday night, with bail remanded, meaning he cannot currently be released. His next court date is May 22, 2026.
According to local reports from News 12 Brooklyn, police had previously responded to domestic disputes between Fernandez and Caldwell.
The NYPD said Caldwell was stabbed multiple times, and her throat cut.
She was transported to One Brooklyn Health-Brookdale Hospital Medical Centre, where she died.
In her Instagram bio, in which she identified as a “Proud TS [transsexual] woman”, Caldwell described herself as a “lover of everything sappy & mushy”.
She celebrated graduating from Bellevue University with a bachelor’s degree in January 2023.
