Gangbanger, 21, arrested for fatal shooting of innocent New York grandma
Police arrested a 21-year-old mobster Monday for the murder of an innocent Bronx grandmother who was shot while running errands last week.
Joshua Evans was arrested on murder and manslaughter charges for the broad daylight shooting that killed 71-year-old Enriqueta Rivera and injured a 34-year-old woman in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx on Thursday.
Evans was also charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
Evans allegedly opened fire on a member of a rival gang during an argument on East 138th Street near Brook Avenue just after 12:30 p.m
The shooter missed his target and struck the two women in the busy business corridor.
“There are two innocent women, two residents of the Bronx, two unintended targets, both hit by senseless gunfire,” NYPD Chief Joseph Kenny said at a news conference Monday.
Rivera – described by those who knew her as a beloved grandmother and community member – was walking along the sidewalk with a shopping cart when she was shot in the heart, police said.
She immediately fell to the ground as Evans and his target fled the carnage they had caused, according to footage obtained by The Post.
The Bronxite, who a neighbor said was the matriarch of her family, was taken to Lincoln Medical Center but could not be saved.
“She loved her family,” said longtime neighbor Luis Gutierrez, 46. “Every other Saturday, her two daughters would come over and have a family reunion with lots of music and food. We just have a great time together.”
The other victim was shot once in the left arm and was treated at Lincoln Medical Center. She is expected to make a full recovery, police said.
Evans lives just two blocks from where he allegedly shot the two women and was previously arrested for a robbery in 2019.
He was picked up by police Monday morning after investigators learned he was hiding at a relative’s home.
“The message from our police department is clear: If you carry an illegal firearm, if you recklessly pull the trigger, if you harm someone in our city, the NYPD will find you,” NYPD Chief of Police Edward Caban said at Monday’s press conference. “We will arrest you and hold you accountable. Gun violence or any kind of violence will never be tolerated.”
The brazen violence was one of three shootings in the past week that left four innocent bystanders injured. An 8-year-old boy was hit by a stray bullet shortly after getting off his school bus in the same Mott Haven neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators believe the gun violence is due to increasing gang activity in the Big Apple.
“We believe these shootings are gang or occupation related,” NYPD Deputy Chief Benjamin Gurley said at a news conference after Rivera’s shooting.
