After being sentenced for murder on Wednesday, a man who was arrested and charged in 2021 with the death of 20-year-old Taya Ashton will serve nearly five years in jail.
For the shooting death of Ashton, a trans woman, that man, DeAllen Price, was sentenced to 60 years in prison with all but 48 years suspended.
On July 17, 2021, Ashton was found shot to death in her room in the 2300 block of Brooks Drive in Suitland, according to Prince George’s County authorities.
According to police, Price and Ashton were acquainted with one another and “had an intimate relationship with each other,” according to Aisha Braveboy, the State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County.
In a press conference on Wednesday regarding Price’s sentencing, Braveboy stated that “an argument ensued during one of their encounters.”
Price of District Heights was arrested by Arlington County police one day after Ashton was found in her apartment for evading police and using the Metro tracks at the Pentagon City station, according to the police. The afternoon of July 18 following the incident, service on the Yellow and Blue lines was temporarily halted.
A K9 officer and Metro Transit Police searched the tracks and found a weapon that they eventually connected to Ashton’s death, according to the police.
During the press conference, Braveboy remarked that “Taya’s passing was a true tragedy for our community and for her family.” “But in terms of our community’s compassion for people who wish to express themselves and live their lives on their own terms, her death stands for so much more.
Braveboy continued, “Someone who chooses to do that should be respected.” “Their lives are just as valuable as everyone else’s.” That is what we know, and as an organization, we support that.
At least 32 trans or gender nonconforming individuals were killed by violence in 2021, according to the Human Rights Campaign. One in two trans people are estimated to have experienced sexual violence or abuse at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crimes.
