Sept. 30, 2020 By Christian Murray
Police have released video footage of two men wanted in relation to the fatal shooting of a woman in Jackson Heights this morning.
The pair, one on a motorcycle and the other on foot, were caught on video near the scene where Bertha Arriaga was killed by a stray bullet that smashed through her 34th Avenue apartment window during the early hours Wednesday.
Arriaga, 43, was found dead on her bedroom floor by her 14-year-old son at around 12:45 a.m. The victim had gone to her bedroom window to check out noise on the street when she was hit in the neck by the stray bullet.
Officials said that the two men appeared to be trying to steal a bike chained up outside of the apartment. The men were making a lot of noise trying to saw off the chain, causing people to look outside.
Police said they are not sure whether it was gang related or not.
Elected officials and neighbors were angered by incident.
“I am horrified that another life has been lost to senseless gun violence,” said Council Member Daniel Dromm this morning. “Bertha Arriaga was killed by a stray bullet inside of her own home. She died simply because she was standing by her window at the worst possible time.”
There are no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
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