The Howard Beach man charged in the fatal shooting of an NYPD officer’s mother in her Ozone Park home in broad daylight Wednesday afternoon allegedly confessed to being the gunman to three investigators at the 106th Precinct, according to prosecutors.
Giuseppe Canzani, 41, was arraigned late Thursday evening before Queens Criminal Court Judge Denise Johnson inside her Kew Gardens courtroom, on a criminal complaint charging him with murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Friday morning.
According to the DA, the victim, 51-year-old Anna Torres, answered a knock on the front door of her Ozone Park home and was standing in her doorway when she was gunned down.
According to the charges, at approximately 2:26 p.m. on May 4, emergency medical technicians responded to 94-59 109th Ave. in Ozone Park and found the victim lying face up in a pool of blood just beyond the entrance to her home. She was shot in the neck and succumbed to the injury.
According to Katz, investigators recovered video surveillance that allegedly shows Canzani wearing a blue sweatshirt, dark sweatpants with red stripes down the side and black and white New Balance sneakers walking away from the location and entering a black Chevrolet Traverse.
The vehicle was parked approximately two houses away from the crime scene. Canzani then allegedly drove to the 106th Precinct in Ozone Park, exited the vehicle with a silver Taurus 45mm handgun and turned himself in to police.
“As alleged, this defendant clearly has no regard for human life and in broad daylight shot the victim as she stood in the entrance to her home,” Katz said. “This is yet another reminder how senseless gun violence is causing heart-wrenching loss in our communities. The defendant is now facing very serious charges.”
Canzani’s defense requested, and was granted, a mental evaluation before Judge Johnson ordered him remanded, held without bail, and set his next court date for May 26.
If convicted, Canzani faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
