Who was Gudelia Vallinas? 23 'most dangerous' gang members arrested after NYC mom-of-2 shot dead by stray bullet
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: In a significant raid that was spurred by the stray-bullet killing of an innocent Queens mom two years ago, nearly two dozen of New York City's "most dangerous" gang members were taken off the roads, authorities announced Tuesday, February 14.
Gudelia Vallinas, a 37-year-old mother of two, was fatally murdered in March 2021 while returning from shopping. This terrible tragedy sparked an inquiry that, according to prosecutors, eventually resulted in the 84-count indictment against 23 alleged gang members, as reported by New York Post.
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Who was Gudelia Vallinas?
Vallinas, a Mexican immigrant who worked as a house cleaner, was shot in the head on March 21, 2021, when she was returning home in Woodside. The shooting was a result of an ongoing conflict between two gangs, according to the investigators.
The rivalry began in 2018 when a heroin deal caused the relationship between two Crips gangs in the public housing projects in Woodside and Astoria to fall apart. Authorities claim that since then, the crews have repeatedly engaged in drill rap videos and social media teasing, which has resulted in drive-by shootings on mopeds and blatant daytime gunfights.
In relation to Vallinas' killing, two men, Benaiah Reid and Dajuan Williams, both 19 at the time, were accused but not named in the indictment released on Tuesday, February 14. “Her greatest joy was her family,” She loved her family beyond all else, according to her father-in-law, who spoke of Vallinas soon after her death. The devoted mother, who raised her son, 10, and daughter, 9, in an apartment on the first floor of a row house, was shot and killed at Broadway and 48th Street, according to the family.
"Miss. Vallinas is our American dream," stated Queens District Attorney Deputy Chief Jason Savino, denouncing the "absolutely horrific" act of violence. "Miss. Vallinas' life was suddenly halted due to gang members recklessly firing bullets, with total disregard of anybody around them."
What did the police say of the indictment?
The "Rolling Crips," also known as "Hip Hop Boys," are a group of Crips from the Astoria Houses neighborhood. The members of Woodside Houses are "8 Trey Crip" set members who rap under the name "True Cash Gettas", according to the DA's Office.
One Woodside Crip, Michael Shepherd, 27, allegedly opened fire near an ice cream truck where a young girl was dancing shortly after 6.30 pm on June 14, 2020, according to court documents. The indictment claims that Shepherd confronted an Astoria Crip competitor after coming out of a convenience store with another gang member, and drew a revolver on him.
The rivals were shot in the courtyard of the Woodside housing complex a day later by three Astoria Crips, Jaheen Stephenson, Delante Aiken, and Tahji Alexander, in front of other residents, including young children. During the gunfight, Devine Moore, a member of the Woodside gang, and an innocent bystander were shot.
A second volley of gunfire broke out between the crews inside the Woodside housing complex two months later as residents waited on benches and watched their small children play on playgrounds, according to the prosecution. Although no one was hurt, the gunshot instilled terror and forced innocent bystanders to flee for their lives.
"The reckless criminality we saw during this investigation is the kind of lawlessness that has killed law-abiding citizens of New York that have been caught in the crossfire of gang violence,” said Melinda Katz during a press conference inside Queens Criminal Court. “We saw that in the heartbreaking loss of Ms. Vallinas. She was crossing the street in Woodside to go buy milk for her two young children when she was gunned down by a gang member shooting at a rival," as reported by Yahoo Entertainment!
The indictment, according to Savino, targets the gang's "alphas." The ages of those accused range from 21 to 40. 18 of the males are charged with crimes involving shootings, according to authorities. The remaining defendants were accused of conspiracy and other offenses, while fifteen were charged with attempted murder. “Our beautiful Queens is just a bit safer with some of the most dangerous individuals in all of Queens now in custody,” Savino said.
“Gangs plus guns equal graves and our goal is to be proactive, and not just one gun at a time but to take down these dangerous individuals who are carrying around guns", Mayor Eric Adams said at the news conference on Tuesday, February 14.
Keechant Sewell, the city's police commissioner, promised that the city "will be back with more cases and more arrests wherever violent criminals threaten our communities." "Other gangs who believe they, too, can establish a culture of fear in our city," Sewell said, noting, "those who believe that are wrong."