Texas soldier accused of killing transgender woman

EL PASO, Texas -- A soldier is accused of killing a transgender woman in West Texas, and the FBI is investigating whether it was a hate crime.

Police arrested 21-year-old Anthony Michael Bowden on Tuesday and charged him with murder.

The El Paso Times reports that the FBI civil rights squad is working with police in El Paso to determine whether the slaying of 36-year-old Erykah Tijerina on Aug. 8 was a hate crime. She was found dead with “obvious signs of foul play” at an apartment complex.

Police say several pieces of forensic evidence led investigators to Bowden. He was interviewed at police headquarters before his arrest,reports CBS affiliate KDBC. The case remains under investigation.

No information about Bowden’s assignment at Fort Bliss in El Paso was immediately available.

Bowden remains jailed on a $750,000 bond. Court records did not list an attorney for him.