NEW YORK—Deisy Garcia’s bedroom door was closed for most of Sunday in her Queens’ apartment at 90-20 Sutphin Blvd. When her 12-year-old cousin opened it, he was shocked to see Garcia, 21, and her two children dead, according to her uncle Romeo Chus, and aunt Zara Alvarado.
Garcia and her daughters, Daniela Mejia, 1, and Yoselin Mejia, 2, were found stabbed and covered with blankets at 7 p.m. on Sunday, though the crime could have been committed much earlier. Her husband, Miguel Mejia-Ramos, 28, is missing and is being treated as a suspect, police said.
Garcia’s family shared an apartment on Sutphin Blvd. with her uncle, aunt, and their two sons.
Next to Garcia’s side was what looked like a brand new knife, recalled Alvarado, who witnessed the devastating scene not long after her son.
She remembered that Garcia’s husband, Mejia-Ramos, “looked like a good guy, quiet, not making trouble.” She tried hard to hold back her tears.
Grief-stricken, her agony and despair was shared by her husband Chus.
“I can’t understand, they have no problem, the two babies were covered in blanket,” he said.
“My son asked, ‘why aren’t the babies coming to play in my room?’” he recalled, “I thought maybe they were asleep so I relaxed in my room.”
Neighbor Suspects Abuse
According to Ana Sanchez, Garcia’s neighbor who lives across the street, the family had lived there for about eight months.
Sanchez, 59, described Garcia as a beautiful lady.
Five months ago, Sanchez overheard a conversation that Garcia was having with two friends that she was suffering from abuse from her husband. Sanchez wanted to help.
Not long after, Deisy called Sanchez and went to visit her.
“She said her husband beat her,” said Sanchez “I said to her: separate, separate.”
“She felt she had to leave, but she didn’t have anywhere to go,” said Sanchez, who wanted to offer her space in her apartment but didn’t have enough room for her daughters.
Sanchez suggested going to the courts but Gracia was afraid as she was an undocumented immigrant.
Gracia was a regular to her nearby church, Iglesia Naciones Unidas En Cristo. Her friends thought it was strange that she didn’t turn up on Sunday. She was learning English at college, according to Alvarado.
“She was a nice mom, always taking care of the kids,” said her neighbor who asked for his name to be withheld.
George Nunez, a neighbor, said he used to see her come out of her apartment as he regularly shopped at the nearby grocery with his wife and 4-year-old son.
Nunez, who is from Ecuador, said: “You hear about this all the time over there. I never thought that would happen here in New York.”
