Transgender YouTube Star Found Beaten To Death In Apartment

Fontana, CA — The transgender star of a YouTube reality series was found dead in her apartment Tuesday afternoon.

The victim was identified as 31-year-old Domonique Newburn, one of the stars of Hollywood Houseboys. The series is described as a “docu-reality series that opens the doors behind the daily lives of four gay friends, their relationships and how they form their own limelight into Hollywood.”

Officers responding to a domestic violence call found Newburn in her apartment in the 7900 block of Bennett Avenue around 4:30 pm. Investigators found signs of a struggle inside and outside the apartment, according to Fontana Police Detective Rich Hunt.

The San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office said Newburn suffered blunt trauma.

Witnesses at the scene said they saw a “bare-chested” African-American man in his late 20s or early 30s leaving the apartment in Newburn’s car, a black 2004 Mercedes Benz C240 with the license plate 7AAY925. The Mercedes was found Wednesday at Perris Hill Park, and police said it looked like the car had been parked there “for some time.” The car was towed to the crime lab to be processed.

The series’ executive producer said Newburn — who went by Domonique Duffy on the series — had just finished a shoot for the relaunch of Hollywood Houseboys. Production had been temporarily halted after four episodes in 2010.

“We are all deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of our sister, Domonique Newburn,” creator Ryan Hope said in a statement. “Domonique was an amazing person whose spirit transcended gender. When we set out to document or lives for reality television, we never once wished to make headlines like this. Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences are with her family.”

In her bio on the Hollywood Houseboys website, Domonique Newburn said that she started cross-dressing at 22 and went to Hollywood with no money. Her ambitions were to have gender reassignment surgery and to be the “first trans-gender to one day have a hit song on iTunes.”

We here at The Inquisitr extend our condolences to Domonique Newburn’s family and friends.