Vigil held for Transgender woman killed in Lawrence Co. attack

A vigil was held Sunday evening, remembering the New Wilmington woman beaten to death by a Campbell man.

Chyna Cardena, 24, a Latinx transgender woman, moved to new Wilmington to find work as a nursing assistant.

The candlelight vigil aimed to bring the community together, raise awareness for transgender violence, and ultimately begin the healing process.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, Chyna's death is at least the seventh violent death of a transgender person in 2021.

The campaign says often many deaths of transgender people go unreported or misreported.

The Human Rights Campaign recorded 44 deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people in 2020, more than in any year since tracking this type of violence in 2013.

"CHYNA HAD SO MUCH MORE TO GIVE US. SO MUCH MORE LIGHT TO SHINE ON THIS WORLD. LIKE MANY OTHER TRANS AND GENDER  NON-CONFORMING PEOPLE BEFORE HER, CHYNA WAS KILLED BEFORE HER TIME DUE TO SENSELESS VIOLENCE," said Sisters pgh member fedricka Washington.

Held in the nursing home's parking lot where she worked, leaders from the activist group joined community members and college students.

Police say 33-year-old Juan Carter Hernandez, who lived in Campbell, was assaulting Chyna in the yard of a home on the morning of Feb. 18 in New Wilmington.

Police say they ordered Hernandez to stop and proceeded to fire on him after ignoring police commands. 

Hernandez died at the scene.

Chyna was later taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown, where she died from her injuries. 

21 News has learned more about Hernandez's potential criminal history.