One Woodhaven woman is on the hunt for the man responsible for killing her dad.
On November 20 of last year, Carlos Rosario, 58, was working in Bushwick, Brooklyn when a robber attacked him in his tire shop, shooting him once in the mouth.
He died even before he reached the hospital, said his daughter Ismelda, 24.
The investigation is ongoing, and the NYPD is offering a $12,000 reward leading to the assailant’s arrest, but Ismelda said she won’t rest until her dad’s killer is brought to justice.
“I’m overwhelmed. I’m shocked — that’s the best word I can use right now,” she said. “I’d just like as much help as possible so that I can continue on with my life.”
Ismelda said she wakes up every day wondering who killed her father and where the murderer could be right now.
“All those questions are always racing through my mind,” she said.
Ismelda, who now lives with just her mother, said she has since gone back to graduate school at Baruch College, where she also works part-time as a graduate assistant.
Though going back to her daily routines helps keep her “busy and distracted” from the pain, she said she is constantly reminded of the tragedy.
“I just really want to focus on advocacy and trying to spread the word,” said Ismelda, who reached out to the community and local civic groups to extend her cause.
Meanwhile, Ed Wendell, president of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association, praised her efforts and strength.
“Her family should be really, really proud of her for what she’s doing,” Wendell said. “I can’t imagine the horror of that happening. I can’t imagine having the pain of losing a loved one mixed with having them taken away so violently and so suddenly. At the same time, I can’t imagine what it’s like not even having the chance for some sort of justice.”
Wendell said he hopes finding the killer will relieve some of the family’s pain.
“The family doesn’t have closure, and that’s what they have to hold out their hope for,” he said. “She’ll never get her father back — that’ll never happen — but if she can get justice, there will be some measure of closure. There has to be someone out there that has some sort of inkling about what happened.”
Anyone with information to this case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
