Gunman accused of killing tarot-reading mother of NYPD officer thought she was a ‘witch’, report says
‘I’m gonna be lost without her’, says husband of tarot-card reader
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A man arrested for shooting a woman in Queens, New York, allegedly believed the tarot-card reader was a “witch” who had cursed him, authorities reportedly said.
The 41-year-old, Giuseppe Canzani, was arrested on Wednesday after 51-year-old Anna Torres was found deceased with multiple shooting wounds at her home in Ozone Park, Queens.
On Thursday, he was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, the New York Police Department said in an email to The Independent.
Citing police sources, both ABC7 New York and the New York Post said police believe Mr Canzani was a “disgruntled” customer of Ms Torres, a clairvoyant who performed tarot-card readings at her home.
“Yeah, that’s the woman I shot,” he allegedly told police.“They tried to kill me”.
He allegedly added: “If I tell you what’s going on with me, you wouldn’t believe it. Not for nothing, I am supposed to be dead already, that’s all I know.”
According to ABC New York, the comments were made by Mr Canazani shortly after he entered the 106th precinct police station and were captured on body cameras.
A surveillance video from the neighbourhood around Ms Torres’ home meanwhile appeared to show Mr Canzani getting out of a vehicle and walking up to the door of the woman’s home with a gun before driving off.
Police said in a statement on Wednesday: “Upon arrival, officers discovered a 51 year-old female unconscious and unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the right side of the head,” and that Ms Torres was pronounced dead at the scene.
“I’m gonna be lost without her, man. I wanna know why he did that...She don’t deserve that. I wish it was me and not her,” her husband David Aguilar told reporters.
She was also reportedly the mother of a NYPD officer and the “sweetest person in the world”, said Mr Aguilar.
It was not clear if Mr Canzani had a lawyer.