The family of a Manhattan mom who was killed by a stray bullet last month is calling on police in the Dominican Republic to quickly arrest the teen suspect, who is believed to have fled there.
“The authority over there, they have to apprehend him because this was done to a Dominica Republic citizen so he could pay for what he did because this was an innocent person,” said Rosa Ortega, a 59-year-old cousin of the shooting victim, Valeria Ortega.
Ortega, a 64-year-old mother of three, was fatally struck by a stray bullet on Dec. 26 while walking to the food store near Dyckman Street and Vermilyea Avenue in Inwood.
NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said Thursday they had identified who pulled the trigger in her death as Manuel Ramos — but the 17-year-old had fled to the Dominican Republic.
Rosa Ortega said she believed the teen also must have had help getting to the Caribbean island nation.
Rosa Ortega, 64, had lived in Inwood for thirty years. Facebook/Valerie Ortega“The people that sent him there, they should go to jail, too, because they should have turned him in,” she fumed through a translator.
Ramos was allegedly riding in a car with two others just after 11:30 a.m. on the day after Christmas when he fired out of the window at a scooter, police officials said.
One of those bullets struck Valeria Ortega in the head.
Ortega’s husband, Vincente Garcia who is Dominican broke down in tears Friday when The Post told him that his wife’s alleged killer was on the run in the DR.
Vincent Garcia, Ortega’s husband, called on DR police to arrest the alleged gunman. Courtesy 315 Berry Street tenant“He is from my country?” he said.
“I want them to catch him.”
Their son was confident authorities would catch up to his mother’s killer.
Ortega, a 64-year-old mother of three, was fatally struck by a stray bullet on Dec. 26. G.N.Miller/NYPost“Of course, they are gonna catch him,” he said. “What he did, he is going to pay for it.”
Baro Pauleno, 63, grew up with the victim since they were five years old. He said they called each brother and sister.
“That was my sister. We were raised together since we were five years old. We did everything together,” he said.
“Of course, for life he should be in jail,” he said when asked about the shooter.
“When he had the gun, he thought he was a lion in that car. Now he is running. He is a coward. He destroyed a whole family in Santo Domingo and here.”
He pointed out that the victim’s mom is 101 years old.
“When she heard, she cried. She cries almost every day,” he said.
