NYPD dad to 23-year-old daughter's killer: 'You will be found'

Publish date: 2024-04-01

Explore More

The mysterious shooting death of a young Queens mom left her retired NYPD cop dad “devastated” and boarding the next plane to New York from his Florida residence.

The grief-stricken father of Alexa Ruiz vowed to The Post that his daughter’s killer “will be found.”

“I’m devastated. It’s hard right now to comment about anything. When I first heard the news I thought it was natural causes,” Carlos Ruiz, 57, said. “I made some calls and got the real story. It’s heavy on my heart and I’m lost for words.”

The dad, who was with the NYPD from 1991 to 2011, is now meeting with investigators.

“Whoever did this. You took away the mother of a 3 year old,” Ruiz said, addressing the killer. “I will never forgive you and I hope you pay for everything you have done. And you will be found.”

The heartbroken dad said he could not get into the specifics of the “ongoing investigation,” but added, “I will be here now for a little while.”

The grief-stricken father of Alexa Ruiz vowed that his daughter’s killer “will be found.” Alexa Ruiza/Facebook

“She was so full of life, so energetic and so happy,” the father of six said of his 23-year-old daughter.

The retired NYPD cop, who was assigned to the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights while on the job, said he last spoke to Ruiz “about two years ago.”

Ruiz was found fatally shot in the head inside her first-floor Maspeth apartment on 56th Drive near 60th Street Wednesday night. Investigators have not publicly revealed if there is a suspect or person of interest in the case.

“We know that her boyfriend was the last person with her,” Natasha Merlin, 34, the half-sister of the victim told The Post Saturday.

Ruiz was found fatally shot in the head inside her first-floor Maspeth apartment on 56th Drive near 60th Street. Brigitte Stelzer for NY Post

The Long Island resident said she didn’t know what the couple was doing or the status of their relationship, but “he was the last person to see her,” adding, “I don’t think I should say his name. I don’t know if the police want me to say his name.”

Merlin said she found out from her brother early Thursday about her half-sister’s death — but learned later, from news reports, that her sister had been shot.

She admittedly “hadn’t spoken to Alexa in a while. We had a falling out so I didn’t even know she even had this boyfriend. But from what I’m hearing from her friends and from my brother, he never did anything violent towards her.”

Merlin said their dad flew into town Friday night from his Miami residence with her other four siblings.

“He was shocked. He was crying,” when he heard the news, Merlin said, adding, “He’s actually meeting with a detective right now, the detective on the case.” 

It was Ruiz’s step-father, Giovanni Munive, who discovered the young mom’s lifeless body on her bed, according to a neighbor who only identified himself as Sterling. 

Despite their differences, Merlin loved her half-sister, who she said was a nail technician. “She was a beautiful girl. She was funny. She was outgoing. She had a daughter who she loved so much. The daughter loved her and was asking for her every day.”

Neighbors said they hadn’t seen much of Ruiz in recent weeks. Alexa Ruiza/Facebook

“She was the funniest person in the room always. There was always laughing. She was always laughing and smiling,” Merlin added.

Neighbors said they hadn’t seen much of Ruiz in recent weeks.

Eddie, who lives in the same building, said he hadn’t seen Ruiz much over the past month or so but saw the 23-year-old and a man “in his early 30s,” along with her daughter “a lot over the past year.”

“He was always a nice guy. I think he worked at like a FedEx or a UPS type of job. Always friendly. I saw him here a lot but I wasn’t sure if he lived here or it was a visitation thing or what their relationship was,” Eddie said, adding he last saw the male companion “a day or two” before Ruiz was found dead.

A neighbor who lives across the street and gave her name as Debbie said she’s now afraid there’s a killer on the loose.

“I have to wake up at 5 and leave my house at 6,” the neighbor said. “I’m terrified quite frankly… I’m terrified that one of these days it will happen to me.”

The NYPD said there are no arrests, but would not offer further comment Saturday afternoon.

ncG1vNJzZmimqaW8tMCNnKamZ2Jlf3R7j2pmamxfo8axsIydmJ1lpKR6c3%2BMspyaql2kuaV5w5qsoKCkmr%2B0ecqio6WdomLGsMGMsKClpF2Xsm6yzq6lnWc%3D