$40,000 Reward Offered In Frankford Shooting Death Of Mother, Unborn Baby
By Tony Hanson and Noel McLaren
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia police are now asking for the public's help to find the man responsible for a shooting in the Frankford section of the city that killed a woman and the unborn baby she was carrying.
At a briefing held this afternoon, Capt. James Clark, of the police department's homicide unit, said the reward money is $40,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator.
"At this point, we're calling it a double homicide because it is two involved," Clark said.
According to Clark, the 25-year-old victim, Megan Doto, was not the intended target. He says a gunman opened fire on a white, four-door vehicle near Adams and Griscom Avenues as it passed by.
Investigators say one of the stray bullets hit the woman in the face from nearly a block away. She died, and her baby, delivered premature by Caesarian section, succumbed a number of hours later.
"I just knew she wasn't going to make it," said Christopher D'Agostino, who was sitting inches from Doto when she was struck.
He says the new family's hopes and dreams were shattered with one stray bullet.
"They have every supply for the child already, everything they already have everything, now there's no need for any of it," he said.
D'Agostino says he watched Doto take her last breaths just moments before she was hit by the gunfire meant for someone else from a block away.
"I didn't have any time to react I didn't have time to duck or nothing," said D'Agostino.
The city routinely posts a reward of $20,000 in each unsolved murder case. In this case, officials say, there are two victims so the reward is doubled.
Clark said Doto leaves behind two children; ages six and four.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police.