A Los Angeles man was charged today with special circumstance murder and other counts in connection with a fatal stabbing and fire, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.

Kevyn Ramirez (dob 5/21/88) is expected to be arraigned today in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. The criminal complaint in case BA464341 includes a special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of an attempted first-degree robbery and an allegation of personal use of a deadly and dangerous weapon, a knife.

The defendant is additionally charged with two counts of arson with allegations of multiple structures and use of an accelerant. Deputy District Attorneys Rachel Bowers and Holly Harpham of the Arson and Explosives Section are assigned to the case.

Ramirez is accused of killing Victoria Ramos Gutierrez, a transgender woman whom he met online, in the early morning hours of January 10, 2018. Ramirez allegedly stabbed the victim and set ablaze her residence located in the 1700 block of South New Hampshire Avenue in Los Angeles, prosecutors said.

If convicted as charged, Ramirez faces the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. A decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made at a later date. Ramirez is being held without bail.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, West Bureau Homicide and the Los Angeles Fire Department, Arson Counter Terrorism Unit.

Los Angeles District Attorney / case BA464341 / January 16, 2018