NYPD
Oct. 3, 2020 By Christian Murray
Police have arrested a Corona man for a stray bullet shooting that killed a Jackson Heights mother inside her 34th Avenue apartment early Wednesday morning.
Issam Elabbar,31, who lives on 41st Avenue, was nabbed by detectives around 2 a.m. Saturday and faces multiple charges, including murder, manslaughter and possession of a loaded fire arm.
Elabbar allegedly fired the bullet that went through the window of a third-floor apartment at 91-16 34th Ave. and killed Bertha Arriaga, 43, a mother of three.
Arriaga, a Mexican immigrant, was looking out her bedroom window when she was fatally shot in the neck.
Thanks to the hard work & dedication of @NYPD115Pct Investigators, Issam Elabbar has been arrested and charged with murder.
Your @NYPDDetectives work relentlessly to find justice for victims. https://t.co/uDjqnIoxRu
— Commissioner Shea (@NYPDShea) October 3, 2020
Her 14-year-old son found Arriaga’s body on her bedroom floor.
The police released video footage of two men trying to steal a bicycle chained outside Arriaga’s apartment building at the time of her death. Sources say the men made a lot of noise, which awoke Arriaga causing her to go to the window.
Police received a tip identifying Elabbar as one of the two men in the footage. A $10,000 reward was offered for any info that could lead to Arriaga’s killer.
A gofundme page has been set up to raise funds for Arriaga’s family.
She leaves behind a husband, Jorge Aguilar, and three boys– ages 14,10 and 6-years-old.
Jorge Aguilar and Bertha Arriaga with their three children (Photo: GofundMe)
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