Mother-of-three, 43, is killed after stray bullet hit her in the head when it smashed through the bedroom window of her New York City apartment
A married mother-of-three was killed when a stray bullet smashed through her apartment window and struck her in the head in New York City last night.
Bertha Arriaga, 43, was checking on a noise coming from outside her Queens apartment building when she was hit.
The tragic incident comes amid a wave off gun violence that has swept over New York City in recent months.
Arriaga was found mortally wounded and bleeding on the floor of her apartment on 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights by her 14-year-old son at around 12.45am.
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Bertha Arriaga, a 43-year-old married mom-of-three, was shot and killed when a stray bullet flew through her bedroom window early Wednesday
Arriaga went to the window of her apartment in Queens after hearing noises outside when someone fired a shot, striking the woman in the head
The NYPD released surveillance video showing two would-be bicycle thieves at the scene of the crime when Arriaga was shot
The suspects are seen leaving the scene on 34th Avenue on a motorcycle
Arriaga's brother-in-law, Javier Aguilar, said his nephew woke up his father sleeping in another room to tell him about what happened.
Jorge Aguilar, Arriaga's husband, attempted to revive his wife by performing CPR on her, but to no avail.
Police and paramedics were called to the scene and pronounced Arriaga dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
Officials said neighbors had made 911 calls around the same time reporting gunfire outside.
Arriaga's 14-year-old son found his mother bleeding from the head on the floor of their apartment on 34th Avenue
Jorge Aguilar described his wife, Arriaga, as the best wife and mother to their three sons, ages six, 10 and 14
'She was the best wife of all,' Jorge told PIX11 through tears. 'She cared deeply about the kids.'
The couple emigrated from Mexico and settled in Queens 15 years ago to raise a family. Arriaga is survived by her husband and their three sons, ages six, 10 and 14.
So far, no arrests have been made in connection to the deadly shooting.
On Wednesday morning, the NYPD released surveillance video showing two persons of interest and appealed to the public for help in finding them.
The short clip features a pair of men on a motorcycle trying to steal a bicycle chained to a pole.
'There appears to be a theft occurring at the time - an attempted theft of a bicycle that was locked up in front of this location,' Deputy Inspector Julie Morrill told ABC 7 NY. 'The theft that was occurring ended. The bike was not taken by these perps. A shot rang out. At this time it is still under investigation as to who fired that shot.'
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).
Just hours after Arriaga's death, gunfire erupted outside a car wash in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, killing a 25-year-old man and injuring two others.
On Wednesday morning, three people were shot, one of them fatally, outside this car wash in Coney Island, Brooklyn
According to recent NYPD crime statistics, New York City has seen the number of shooting incidents and shooting fatalities nearly double so far this year compared to last year.
Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday raised concerns about New York City's skyrocketing gun violence rates, saying crime is 'not going to get better on its own'
Between January 1 and September 20, a total of 1,123 shootings resulting in 214 fatalities were reported in the Big Apple, compared with 580 shootings and 111 fatalities for the same period in 2019.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, took a swipe at Mayor Bill de Blasio, citing a host of quality-of-life issues plaguing New York City under his leadership, including rising gun violence rates, rampant homelessness and garbage piling up in the streets.
'We have a problem in New York City when it comes to crime. That is fact,' Cuomo said, as Fox News reported. 'It's not going to get better on its own.'
In July and August, shootings were up 177 and 166 per cent, respectively, compared to the same time last year.
Other major cities in the US also have seen rising crime rates. According to a study by the Council on Criminal Justice, from May-June 2020, homicides in 20 cities increased by 37 per cent, led by Chicago, Philadelphia and Milwaukee, reported CNN.