Milpitas man guilty of domestic violence murder in 2021 killing of trans woman

A jury in Santa Clara County on Wednesday convicted a Milpitas man of murder for killing his transgender partner in 2021, prosecutors said.

District Attorney Jeff Rosen's office announced that 25-year-old Elijah Cruz Segura was found guilty in the stabbing death of Natalia Smut . Rosen said it is believed to be the county's first prosecution of a transgender domestic violence homicide.

"Domestic violence of all kinds hides in the shadows of our community," the district attorney said in a statement . "We as a community will shine a light on it, fight against it, and work to help victims find empathy, safety, shelter, and justice."

According to prosecutors, Milpitas Police were called to a residence on Hillview Court in the early morning hours of April 13, 2021. When officers arrived, they found Segura and the victim, who was stabbed multiple times.

Segura and Smut were dating for several months, prosecutors said. Smut was a celebrated drag queen and her killing sent shockwaves through the Bay Area LGBTQ+ community, along with her friends and family.

"It hurts. I'm outraged. I'm disappointed. It makes me want to work harder. But there's always this sense of trauma," Sera Fernando, a trans activist, told CBS News Bay Area following Natalia's death .

"Natalia was beautiful. She had one of the biggest hearts you could ask for. And she would just light up a room as soon as she walked in," Vanessa Singh, the victim's older sister, said at the time.

Segura will be sentenced in January, prosecutors said. He faces 16 years to life in prison.