ORLANDO, Fla. -- A transgender woman in Orlando was violently killed, but her identity is lost as she is labeled a man by investigators.

"To her friends she is known as Sasha," said Bliss Cares Project Coordinator Ashley Figueroa. 

Sasha was found killed at apartment complex near Orange Blossom Trial. She was initially identified by law enforcement as a 27-year-old man named Steven who dressed as a woman. 

"By misidentifying someone, it hinders the investigation, because of course you want to get information from the public," ​Figueroa said.

After law enforcement was able to notify the victim’s family, they confirmed Steven was actually Sasha Garden, a 27-year-old transgender woman. 

As a transgender woman herself and advocate for the LGBTQ community at the nonprofit Bliss Care, Ashley Figueroa says misidentifying transgender people is a common issue.​

"We saw what happened to Sasha may have happened because of her not having the right identity documents," Figueroa said. 

Bliss Care offers a program to help people correct their name and then their gender on their ID.

However, Figueroa says Sasha isn't the only transgender woman to be targeted this year.

"Fifteen trans people have been killed in the U.S., and the ninth African American one," Figueroa explained. 

Figueroa says in Florida alone, Sasha marks the fourth known murder of a transgender person in 2018. 

With Sasha's death, she hopes people become more aware of her true identity and the violence Sasha and other trans people endure.

"We need to come together, and we need to grow from this," Figueroa said. 

The Orange County Sheriff's Office wanted to be clear they investigate every case equally and without bias. They are actively investigating Sasha Garden's murder. 

Anyone with more information is asked to contact Crimeline anonymously at 1-800-423-TIPS. 

Sheriff Demings issued a statement Saturday over the misunderstanding regarding Sasha's identity: 

At 5:00 a.m. on July 18th deputies responded to the call of a severely injured individual at 1633 Holden Avenue and a brief time later, the victim was pronounced deceased. In an effort to expedite information to the public via the local media and identify the victim, some of the information disseminated in a press release may have offended members of the LGBTQ community. 

In the early stages of this homicide investigation, the OCSO released details regarding the legal name of the victim as required by state statute, along with other details that might assist detectives in solving this heinous crime. At that time the Orange County Sheriff's Office did not know the individual was transgender and had only one goal in mind, finding and apprehending a suspect.

Once OCSO detectives identified the victim  and public information officers were made aware by family and friends that the victim was transgender, they immediately transitioned to referring to the victim by the appropriate gender and recognized name, Sasha.  The Orange County Sheriff's Office did not intend to be insensitive in this effort and I along with agency members apologize for any misgivings our communications may have caused. 

As Sheriff, I am proud to report that the Orange County Sheriff's Office continues to have a positive relationship and open dialogue with members of the LGBTQ community, and we will seek additional measures to further strengthen that bond in the days ahead.

We are committed to finding the suspect in Sasha’s murder and ask that anyone having relevant information to come forward. 

Jerry L. Demings,

Orange County Sheriff