A Maspeth woman was found fatally shot in the head inside her own home at 59-49 56th Drive earlier this week — and police said Friday that they are now treating the case as a homicide (Photo: Google Maps)
Jan. 13, 2023 By Michael Dorgan
A Maspeth woman was found fatally shot in the head inside her own home earlier this week — and police on Friday said they are now treating the case as a homicide.
The victim, Alexa Ruiz, 23, was discovered dead inside her 59-49 56th Drive apartment Wednesday at around 8 p.m. after her father called to her home to check in on her, according to police.
Ruiz’s father initially couldn’t get access to the apartment since it was locked from the inside so he called the building’s super, who managed to pry a window open and then open the front door, the New York Post reported.
They then came across Ruiz lying on a bed in a first-floor bedroom. She had been shot in the back of the head, according to police.
Responding EMS pronounced Ruiz dead at the scene, police said.
Police on Friday said they had launched a homicide investigation into the death of Ruiz, who worked as a nail technician and was a single mother to a young daughter. It is understood that the victim’s child was not in the apartment at the time of her mother’s discovery.
The New York Post reported that Ruiz may have been killed on Monday night, however, the NYPD could not confirm this when contacted by the Queens Post late Friday.
It is also unclear how the alleged killer fled the apartment given the door was reportedly locked.
A neighbor told the NY Post that there were no signs of forced entry.
“She let him in or the guy has keys,” the neighbor said.
No arrests have been made and police have yet to identify a suspect.
