Reward Offered

A reward has now been offered for information surrounding the alleged hit-and-run murder on January 18, of teenage mother Natalie Guzman.
While one suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the death, police are still seeking two others.
Raymundo Herrera, 32, taken into custody on January 27, is believed to be the driver of a Nissan Pathfinder, the third vehicle to strike Guzman. The Long Beach residents arrest came after the vehicle was impounded and traced to his brother, Casimirio Herrera.
DNA found on the undercarriage of the SUV was confirmed as that of Natalie Guzman.
Herrera has been charged with manslaughter in the second degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, criminally negligent homicide and leaving the scene of an accident.
The defendant alleges he had been drinking and was unaware that he had hit Guzman.
Guzmans mother, Miriam Toribio, has said of the arrest, "Im glad they got him…my mind is a little at peace, but I dont think thats all of it."
The controversy surrounding this case is mounting since reports say that Herrera had no prior relationship with the victim. However, Toribio insists that her daughter knew the man who ran her down. Although she had never seen the suspect in the vicinity, Toribio feels that he was a regular in the neighborhood.
"My heart says that maybe that man knew my daughter," said Toribio.
She also alleges that, contrary to reports that Guzman had been crossing the street with a friend, she was, in fact, crossing the corner of 111th Street and Roosevelt Avenue alone. Toribio claims that Guzman had asked a friend at the billiard hall to accompany her, as she was fearful for her life, but that she was alone at the time of the incident.
Toribio further feels that the incident involved only two cars, not three, and that the first vehicle made a U-turn and hit Guzman twice. This, she claims, is according to an unidentified source who alleges that the vehicle was bone colored.
Manuel Rodriguez, at the Los Primos Tournament and Billiard Hall with Guzman that night, confirms her belief that the first car returned. He alleges that Guzman left the premises at approximately 5:30 a.m. Rodriguez did not witness the initial hit; he alleges, however, that a gray SUV came back around the block, traveling at high speeds, only to hit her again.
The witness further states that the bystanders attempting to assist Guzman had to scramble out of the way to avoid being hit themselves. In an interview he also assured The Queens Courier that Guzman had had no altercations on the night of her death. It was a "pre-existing problem that happened at Manys some time before."
According to reports, after the argument at Manys, Guzman informed her relatives, "Theyre gonna kill me."
"I think they got the guy, and its good hes in jail," said Rodriguez.
As the investigation into the Guzmans death continues, Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,000 reward for anyone with information, leads or tips. If you or someone you know has any information, you are urged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (1-888-57 PISTA for Spanish speakers) with code Q296. All calls will remain anonymous.
Assemblyman Jose Peralta, who set up a "College Bound Fund" for Laritza, Guzmans 15-month-old daughter, and who visited the family to present Toribio with a check for $2,000 from community donations, has issued a public plea for anyone with information to come forward. He has also asked that the cab drivers who might have witnessed the accident call his office at (718) 458-5367.