Family of NYC mom killed by stray bullet call on Dominican cops to act
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 ne🦄a🎃r 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 f꧃led to the Dominican Republic.
Rosa Ortega said she believed the t🍬een also must have had help getting to the Caribbean island nation.
“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 allegedဣly 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 O♕rtega 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.
“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.
“Of course, they are gonna catch him,” he said. “What he did, he is going to pay for it.”
Baro Paul🐈eno, 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 h๊e was a lion i꧑n that car. Now he is running. He is a coward. He destroyed a whole family in Santo Domingo and here.”
He pointed ౠout that the victim’s mom is 101 y🤡ears old.
“When she heard, she cried. She cries almost every day,” he said.
