Disturbing new details have emerged in the case of a 51-year-old Queens woman, the mother of a police officer, who was found shot in the neck in her own home earlier this week, according to criminal charges prosecutors unveiled Friday.
Giuseppe Canzani, a 41-year-old man from Howard Beach, faces murder and weapons possession charges in Wednesday's killing of Anna Torres, who was discovered with two bullet wounds in her 109th Avenue home in Ozone Park.
He was arraigned late Thursday on second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in Torres' case. Canzani was ordered to return to court on May 26. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
It wasn't known if Canzani entered a plea at his arraignment, nor was the name of his attorney immediately clear. A possible motive isn't known either. The accused killer said nothing to reporters as he was led to his arraignment a day ago.
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What is clear, though, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, is the savage way in which he allegedly took the beloved Torres' life.
Canzani allegedly fired three shots in all when Torres opened her door Wednesday afternoon, hitting her twice, with one going into her neck. First responders found Torres lying face down in a pool of blood just beyond the entrance to her home.
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She was pronounced dead within minutes of emergency medical technicians' arrival. A gun was recovered later, when Canzani allegedly fled the scene and ended up driving to a local police precinct, where officials say he got out of his vehicle still holding the weapon. He was tackled to the ground and taken into custody.
Surveillance video from the area around Torres' home shows Canzani walk away after the shooting. He gets into a parked black Chevrolet Traverse, the same vehicle police have said he used to drive to her home and later to the precinct stationhouse.
Elected officials, NYPD officers and local residents plan to hold a rally against gun violence on Saturday on Rockaway Boulevard and 101st Street.
"As alleged, this defendant clearly has no regard of human life and in broad daylight shot the victim as she stood in the entrance to her home," Katz said in a statement Friday. "This is yet another reminder how senseless gun violence is causing heart-wrenching loss in our communities."
