In the winter of 2021, a hardworking single mother's life was tragically cut short on a street in East Elmhurst, Queens. Josefina Perez De La Rosa, a 37-year-old woman who owned a small cleaning company, was shot and killed in broad daylight on the afternoon of January 2nd. The brazen attack occurred just a few blocks from her home, sending shockwaves through her quiet neighborhood.
She was a mother to two children.
Witnesses reported hearing the sharp crack of multiple gunshots before observing a man in a long white jacket calmly walking away from the scene. Emergency medical services rushed to the location and transported Perez De La Rosa to Elmhurst Hospital, but her injuries, multiple gunshot wounds to the abdomen, proved to be fatal. Her sudden and violent death left her family, including her two children and recently divorced ex-husband, and the community in a state of profound grief and disbelief. Neighbors and friends remembered her as a kind and optimistic person, making the senselessness of her death even more difficult to comprehend.
In the immediate aftermath, the New York Police Department launched an investigation into the homicide. Detectives were able to obtain surveillance footage that captured a potential suspect, the same man witnesses had described leaving the area. Despite this initial lead, an arrest was not immediately forthcoming. As time passed, the case remained unsolved, with no clear motive for the shooting identified. The community rallied in support of Perez De La Rosa's family, holding vigils and calling for justice. However, as of the latest available information, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Josefina Perez De La Rosa, and the investigation remains open.
