A 23-year-old man charged in the Monday shooting and holdup of a transgender woman in an eastern Birmingham house is now charged in the slaying of another transgender woman.

Denzell Thomas today was charged with murder in the Sept. 23 death of Hason Amin Alford, 30, who went by the name Jazz. Housekeeping at the Kings Inn on Third Avenue North made the discovery in a second-floor room.

Alford, of North Carolina, had been shot multiple times, according to family members. She was found lying naked on the floor of the room and pronounced dead on the scene. Officers were told that gunshots could be heard at the location prior to officers' arrival to the scene.

Police today announced the murder charge against Thomas. "This is great news. I want to shout right now,'' said Alford's sister, Toya Milan. "I'm still mourning of course, but I am so filled with joy right now because this monster is off of the streets and he can't harm anybody else."

"It's somebody's child he took the life from,'' Milan said. "They've got a special place for somebody like him."

Thomas was arrested earlier this week on charges of attempted murder and first-degree robbery in Monday's shooting. That shooting happened at 10:05 a.m. in the 7500 block of Fifth Avenue South. The victim was shot in the face and rushed to UAB Hospital. The victim is recovering.

The victim's boyfriend in Monday's shooting arrived home shortly after the incident. Darius Foster said he got home from the store to find his 24-year-old girlfriend on the front porch. "She came out on the porch screaming 'Help me,''' Foster said. "It was bad. There was nothing pretty about it."

Alford's sister, who is also a transgender woman, has been pleading for answers in her sister's death. "She was such a loving person and we didn't know anybody that would want to hurt her,'' Milan said of her sister. "It's been a hard pill to swallow."

Milan said Alford, a native of High Point, N.C., transitioned five years ago, and later helped her with her own transition."She was very educated and very beautiful,'' Milan said.

She graduated from college in Florida and worked as a call center representative for an airline company, but also advertised as an escort on backpage.com.

Milan believes that may have been what led to her sister's death. "A lot of men know transgender women escort and think that we're going to have money,'' Milan said. "They make a lot of money and they figure that out and they try to rob us."

Milan said Alford was on her way to Atlanta to visit her when the radiator on her car blew. "She was stuck in Birmingham,'' Milan said.

When family couldn't reach Alford, they began calling the motel and it took hours for them to get the news of the fatal shooting. "When I first heard the news, I couldn't even cry,'' Milan said. "I didn't have any emotion. I just couldn't believe it."

Alford was buried Oct. 1 in North Carolina. Milan said the family gave Alford's car to the motel maid who discovered the body. "She said Jazz was very sweet,'' Milan said.

Milan said her sister's hotel room was ransacked. Police are not commenting on the motive in the case, but said other investigations are ongoing regarding Thomas. A no-bond has been issued on the murder charge.

"We're glad to have this guy in custody. We believe he's extremely dangerous,'' said Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards. "He needs to be behind bars. We're not done developing leads in this case."