A mom was fatally shot in the head while walking to the grocery store just one day after Christmas.
Valeria Ortega, 64, was walking in Manhattan with her son when a stray bullet struck her.
The incident took place in broad daylight at around 11:31 a.m.
According to a report from the New York Post, police said that Ortega was hit by gunfire from a conflict between two moped drivers and an individual in a dark, four-door sedan.
“[The individual] in the car fired in the direction of the mopeds,” police said. “No one else was struck.”
64-Year-Old Woman Found Shot in Head in Broad Daylight on NYC Sidewalk
64-year-old dead Valeria Ortega was innocently shopping for her family when she was gunned down at 11:31 a.m. today in the vicinity of Dyckman Street and Vermilyea Avenue. pic.twitter.com/CsQGBCXB1U
— Uptown Collective (@Uptowncollectiv) December 27, 2022
No arrests have been made at time of publishing.
“[Ortega] had already fallen to the ground,” Edgar Garcia, a clerk at the nearby GNC store, told The Post. “I just saw her lying there while blood was leading … She was laying face-flat near her cart and I just saw the blood splattered.”
Ortega’s husband told News 4 that his wife was a good person and he feels awful for their two boys.
Police are now seeking the public’s help in tracking down suspects.
According to a report from CBS News, anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
