Mother Found Buried in Queens

One headshot killed the 35-year-old woman buried in a shallow grave in Queens.

Police and hostage negotiators converged on the Ocean Bay Apartments in Edgemere on Monday night. Officers searched a residence on Beach 54th Street for a man believed to be inside. The person of interest was not in the apartment but was later located at another nearby site.

City medical examiners confirmed earlier on Monday that the body found over the weekend in a park on Beach 58th Street belonged to a woman shot once in the head. Authorities identified the victim Monday night as Seraphina Pereira, a mother of young children. She had been reported missing from the same apartment building a week prior. Flyers with her name and photograph were posted throughout the neighborhood while her family sought help.

Law enforcement sources state the person of interest is the father of two of Pereira’s children. Neighbors told reporters that the police activity at the building confirmed their suspicions about the disappearance. A neighbor who asked not to be identified said she hoped police would find the person responsible. "She got three kids. It's real sad. Nobody deserves that," the neighbor said.

Charges were pending as of Monday night. Authorities had not released the name of the person of interest. Sources said the investigation remains ongoing.