Erykah Caldwell
Age 4117 May 2026
New York City (USA)
Throat cut
Erykah was killed in her apartment by her abusive ex-partner.
Jonathan Fernandez, 38, was arrested at the scene after being found by police sitting next to Erykah's body.
Police are investigating after a 41-year-old woman was stabbed to death inside an apartment on Cooper Street in Bushwick around 9 a.m. Sunday morning. Residents in the building say they saw police arrive and gain entry to the unit, where the woman was found with multiple stab wounds to the torso and pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital.
Police say a knife was recovered from the scene, and a person of interest is in custody. Residents there are telling News 12 it was not the first time they had seen police called to that unit.
The sister of slain Brooklyn transgender woman Eryka Caldwell shared further details about the relationship between Caldwell and her alleged killer, Jonathan Fernandez, saying that their relationship had previously led Caldwell to seek help in domestic violence shelters.
Contessa said her sister never confided in her family about the abuse, which she noted led Caldwell to stay in a shelter this January.
“When it came to her relationships, if it was abusive or anything, she didn’t allow me to know,” Contessa said. “I just wish she would have reached out for help or told somebody in code or something. Like, what was going on, so she could have gotten the help or somebody could have come down there.”
Police arrested Fernandez, 38, on the scene. He was arraigned on charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon on Tuesday.
Caldwell had moved into her Bushwick apartment in March, but had been unable to keep Fernandez out of her home. Upon news of Caldwell’s death, notable LGBTQ+ celebrities and organizations paid remembrance to her and spoke about the violence that trans women of color often face in their romantic relationships.
“Sending our condolences, prayers, and love to her family and to everyone impacted by this devastating tragedy,” the Human Rights Campaign wrote in a comment underneath Them’s original Instagram post about Caldwell’s death. “Holding space for all those grieving during such an incredibly difficult time.”
Contessa told the Post that her sister always saw the good in people. “If there was just a monster or evil, she still tried to find the smallest good in that person,” she said. “And this time, [there] just was no good for her to find or her to fix.”
Caldwell described herself as a “lover of everything sappy & mushy” in her Instagram bio and frequently shared upbeat captions on her social media.
“To whoever I am important to,” she wrote in December 2023, “I love you.”
Erykah's Facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/eryka.caldwell.5.
https://www.them.us/story/eryka-caldwell-sister-domestic-violence-jonathan-fernandez
https://www.them.us/story/eryka-caldwell-vigil-bushwick-brooklyn-killing
https://www.them.us/story/eryka-caldwell-taylor-brown-lgbtqia-affairs-comment-trans-killing-brooklyn
https://www.them.us/story/trans-woman-eryka-caldwell-fatally-stabbed-in-bushwick-brooklyn
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/05/he-slit-his-trans-fiancees-throat-now-hes-claiming-self-defense/
https://www.aol.com/news/proud-trans-woman-41-murdered-174710305.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYh94r4kxa4/
