Queens Woman Found Shot After Days Missing

Seraphina Pereira, 35, sustained gunshot wounds to the head, neck, and chest, according to the medical examiner who ruled her death a homicide. Her body was recovered from a shallow grave on Saturday night near Beach 58th Street and Almeda Avenue in Edgemere, Queens.

Pereira had been missing for several days before her discovery. Brenda Gorczynski, her sister-in-law, noted that Pereira would never leave her four children without explanation. Gorczynski described the victim as a kind and loving mother who made the most of limited resources. Pereira had two sons from a marriage that ended in her husband's death in 2019.

Investigators arrested Rogelio Lozano-Garita, 26, on Monday. Gorczynski stated that Pereira was in a relationship with Lozano-Garita and the couple had two children together. She expressed concern for the safety of the children, asking who would ensure they were not hurt given the severity of the crime. "If he was capable to do this, with so much that's been going on, who is to say that he would not hurt the kids, too?" Gorczynski said.

Crime scene investigators visited Pereira's apartment on Tuesday. The residence is located just blocks from the site where her body was found. Detectives continue to work to piece together the sequence of events leading to her death.

Lozano-Garita faces multiple charges, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon, concealment of a human corpse, and tampering with physical evidence. Investigators used flashlights to comb the area on Saturday night while searching for evidence.