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An arrest warrant has been issued for a “suspected perpetrator” related to the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Marilyn Cotto Montanez in Westchester last week.
Montanez, of Yonkers, was shot in the head on Thursday, April 25, near the intersection of Lake and Morningside avenues in Yonkers, police said. The 1th-grader from Lincoln High School was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The identity of the alleged shooter is expected to be released during a press conference held in Yonkers on Monday afternoon, April 29.
Yonkers Police Det. Sgt. Dean Politopoulos said that the initial investigation determined that several people who were familiar with each other were involved in an altercation before the gun went off.
One group wound up allegedly chasing the other, with a suspect displaying a handgun, which went off, striking Montanez in the head, who was uninvolved, Politopoulos said. The suspect then fled the scene.
According to investigators, no arrests have been made, and the weapon used in the incident has not been recovered.
"A person of interest has been identified, and detectives are continuing to enhance the investigation in order to effect an arrest," Politopoulos said last week.
“Last night. we experienced a tragic event where a young person lost her life due to gun violence,” Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner said in a statement on Friday, April 26. "First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim. The Yonkers Police is dedicating every available resource to apprehend the person responsible for this heinous act. We anticipate an arrest in the near future and will ensure he will be held accountable for his despicable actions.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin M. Quezada said that “the entire Yonkers learning community and in particular Marilyn’s school family are profoundly saddened by this heartbreaking loss. Our hearts and prayers are with her family as they struggle to understand this senseless act of violence. Let Marilyn be the phoenix to summons a call to action for the adults in our community; we cannot lose another child to gun violence. Our staff will support her family as needed throughout their grieving. School staff members remember Marilyn as a caring young woman with a bright future within her reach. Our District Crisis Intervention Team will provide support to students, faculty and staff who may be grieving Marilyn’s senseless incomprehensible death.”
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