A 43-year-old Queens woman was found shot to death on the floor of her home early Wednesday, the apparent result of a stray bullet that came through her front window from two men trying to steal a bike outside her building, according to authorities and emergency radio correspondence.
Bertha Arriaga's 14-year-old son called 911 after finding his mom unresponsive in their Jackson Heights apartment shortly before 1 a.m., officials said. She had been shot in the head, and there was an apparent bullet hole in the front window. A family member said that she was alive when her son found her, and he ran into the other room to wake his father up.
Arriaga's husband, Jorge, tried to perform CPR and do whatever he could to keep his wife alive, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Arriaga was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have been made. Police released surveillance video Wednesday afternoon they say shows two persons of interest sought in connection with Arriaga's death.
Officials said they believe the two men were trying to steal a bike chained up outside of the apartment. The footage shows them working for quite some time to use an electric saw to unchain the bike; they make so much noise that people in the neighborhood take notice and it appears they fire a shot as they exit.
Detectives believe the duo are part of a crew that has been stealing bikes in the area. Crime has increased in the area 4 percent over last year, lead in part by petite larceny jumping nearly 25 percent.
Police ask anyone with information on the shooting to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
