THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) – A suspect has been arrested in the death of a Bronx grandmother who was shot and killed by a stray bullet while trying to cross a street last week, police said Monday.
Enriqueta Rivera, 71, was an innocent bystander when she was killed in Mott Haven around 12:35 p.m. on Thursday, according to the NYPD.
“Two males got into a dispute. One male pulled out a firearm and fired multiple shots at the other,” NYPD Assistant Chief Benjamin Gurley said about the incident, which authorities said involved two rival gang members.
Rivera was trying to cross the street at East 138th Street and Brook Avenue when she was hit in the back by one of the bullets, police said. A 34-year-old food vendor was also shot in the arm.
On Monday, law enforcement arrested 21-year-old Bronx resident Joshua Evans in connection with Rivera’s death, authorities said. Evans was charged with murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
Police said they used surveillance video to track down Evans. He has one prior arrest for robbery, according to authorities.
Rivera lived alone in the Mill Brook Houses in the Bronx. Some of her friends and neighbors told PIX11 News they couldn’t believe she’s gone.
“I feel sad because she was a nice lady. She always walked with her granddaughter, but luckily her granddaughter wasn’t with her [Thursday],” said Maria Melendez, a neighbor of the victim.
The shooting came on the third straight day of gun violence in the Bronx. A woman was grazed by a bullet last Wednesday, and an 8-year-old boy was hit in the leg during a shooting a day earlier.
“It’s sad. A lot of innocent people are getting shot for no reason. They’re just coming around and shooting and shooting people. It’s bad,” a Bronx resident told PIX11 News.
