By James DeWeese
Christopher Alexander, 19, of 122-20 Nellis St., was discovered slumped by a blue Dumpster in a parking lot behind the Bethsalem Church on Merrick Boulevard Dec. 29 around 11:30 a.m., police said.Police discovered a handgun at the scene.Police had been searching for Alexander ever since Lisa Taylor, 35, who lived upstairs above his home, was shot repeatedly in the torso as her 7-year-old daughter looked on, authorities said.Despite her wounds, Taylor was able to make a desperate call to 911 and was rushed to Mary Immaculate Hospital, where she died early Tuesday morning, police said. While still alive, she apparently identified her attacker.Sources said Taylor's daughter may have argued with a 9-year-old relative of Alexander's. An upstairs neighbor who declined to give her name said Taylor and others in the two-story red-brick buildings in the shadow of the Long Island Railroad sometimes had disagreements.But a police source downplayed the significance of the apparent arguments. “There were some neighborly disputes, but somebody blew it out of proportion,” the source said.Latoya McCargo, a downstairs neighbor, said she did not have any conflicts with Taylor.”She didn't do nothing” said McCargo, who moved into the neighborhood four months ago. “She (would) just sit in her window and listen to her radio.”Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the city Administration for Children's Services said Taylor's daughter was staying with relatives.Alexander's family could not be reached for comment, and most neighbors said residents try to keep to themselves.Alexander's body was discovered by the pastor of the Bethsalem Baptist Church at 129-15 Merrick Blvd., workers in neighboring stores said. A mechanic who works across the street from the parking lot where Alexander's body was discovered said the space is normally locked at night and speculated that the teen must have scaled a barbed-wire fence.A woman whose house overlooks the parking lot where Alexander was discovered said she did not hear anything during the night. She declined to give her name.”It's a tragedy,” said the neighbor, who was frustrated by the media attention. “I just wish he had done and did it somewhere else.”Reach reporter James DeWeese by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 157.
