A pregnant Staten Island woman and her partner were both fatally shot on Monday in what appears to be a botched home invasion.
The New York Post reports that police discovered Ana Desousa, 33, and Alafia Rodriguez, 46, dead in their Arlington home on Monday, the victims of fatal gunshot wounds. DeSousa was pregnant, and a 2-year-old girl, believed to be the couple’s daughter, was in the home at the time, along with a 45-year-old woman, who was shot in the back but survived. The unidentified victim was taken to a nearby hospital where she remained in critical condition on Tuesday.
Police sources told the newspaper that the fatal shooting occured during an attempted burglary of the home. Authorities apprehended a suspect, 45-year-old Philip Moreno, who was found near the scene with a gun and zip ties that he allegedly planned to use in the robbery.
Moreno has a violent criminal history, and was jailed for the 1992 murder of a Staten Island man. Moreno reportedly pleaded down murder charges to manslaughter and was imprisoned upstate until he was released on parole in 2007.
It is not known why the suspect target the Arlington home, and there is no indication that he knew the vicitms. NYPD Assistant Chief Kenneth Core reportedly said at a news conference Monday night that drugs, including cocaine, and drug paraphernalia were found at the scene, along with a gun silencer.
This is a developing story. CrimeOnline will provide further updates when more information is available.
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