NYPD: Suspect Arrested In Stray Bullet Shooting That Killed Mother Of 3 Bertha Arriaga In Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A man is under arrest for a stray bullet shooting that killed a mother of three inside her apartment in Jackson Heights, Queens.
Police said Issam Elabbar, 31, of Queens, was taken into custody Saturday morning on several charges, including murder, manslaughter and illegal weapons possession.
Elabbar is accused of firing the bullet that went through Bertha Arriaga's third-floor window, hitting and killing her early Wednesday morning.
LINK: Tracking Shootings In New York City
"She was sleeping, and she heard some noise on the street, and she got up from bed, she looked at the window, and that's when she got hit," Arriaga's brother-in-law, Javier, told CBS2's Natalie Duddridge on Wednesday.
Awful story. This hole in the glass is where a stray bullet hit 43 yr-old mother of 3, Bertha Arriaga in the head killing her. Her 14 yr-old son found her. Police say she was looking out the window because she heard a noise. It appears to be totally random. @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/1EqbWyPxvQ
— Natalie Duddridge (@NatDuddridgeTV) September 30, 2020
MORE: 14-Year-Old Finds Mother Shot To Death By Stray Bullet That Crashed Through Bedroom Window
The Queens District Attorney's office says video surveillance allegedly shows Elabbar and another person trying to cut through a chain around a motorized scooter on the sidewalk.
Elabbar and the other person then run away, and Elabbar is allegedly seen firing one shot over his shoulder without looking to see where he was aiming.
Sources tell CBS2 Elabbar has four prior arrests and was not targeting the victim.
It's not clear why the shot was fired.
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