Police tape that hung from a signpost where the fatal shooting took place in March (Photo: Christina Santucci)
May 6, 2021 By Michael Dorgan
A third man has been arrested in the stray bullet killing of a 37-year-old mother-of-two that took place near Woodside Houses in March.
Benaiah Reid, 19, was nabbed by U.S. Marshals in Florida on April 22 and extradited back to New York this week. He faces a number of charges, including murder and criminal possession of a weapon, for his role in the March 12 death of Gudelia Vallinas.
Reid, a Woodside Houses resident, was a participant in a gang-related gunfight that took place near the corner of 48th Street and Broadway where Vallinas was fatally struck in the head by a stray bullet.
Police did not reveal what Reid’s alleged role in the incident was when asked for comment.
Reid is the third suspect to be arrested in connection to the tragic shooting.
Dajuan Williams, 19, who is also from the Woodside Houses NYCHA complex, was arrested early last month and has been charged with murder in the second degree and a weapons charge.
Meanwhile, Alexander Acevedo, 25, of 37th Street in Astoria, has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment.
The incident took place after Williams and Acevedo got into an altercation at Woodside Houses, according to the District Attorney’s office.
Acevedo, who is from a rival gang, then fired at least one shot at Williams near the basketball court inside the housing development. The incident then spilled out onto the street and Williams allegedly fired several shots down Broadway with one of those bullets allegedly striking Vallinas.
Vallinas, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, was the mother to an 11-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter. The killing shocked the community and was widely condemned. Several rallies have taken place since, seeking justice for Vallinas and an end to gun violence.
Several people held signs to demand justice for the killing of Gudelia Vallinas. (Photo: Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)
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