Queens Woman Found Dead in Shallow Grave; Boyfriend Charged with Murder

Queens police have charged 26-year-old Rogelio Lozano-Garita with murder, criminal possession of a weapon, concealment of a human corpse, and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the death of 35-year-old mother Seraphina Pereira. The charges were filed days after investigators uncovered Pereira’s body in a shallow grave at Rockaway Community Park near Beach 58th Street and Almeda Avenue. The medical examiner determined she had been shot once in the head.

ABC7 New York

Pereira was reported missing a week earlier from the Ocean Bay Apartments on Beach 54th Street. Family members circulated flyers and searched for answers. Police and hostage negotiators conducted a sweep of the apartment complex on a Monday night, focusing on a man believed to be linked to the case. The individual was later located and detained at a nearby location; authorities identified him as a person of interest and the father of two of Pereira’s children. Neighbors described the heavy police presence as confirming community fears surrounding the disappearance.

ABC7 New York

• Seraphina Pereira — 35-year-old mother of three, resident of the Ocean Bay Apartments, identified by the medical examiner after her body was recovered.

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• Rogelio Lozano-Garita — 26-year-old Queens resident, charged with multiple felonies related to Pereira’s death; identified by police as a person of interest and father of two of her children.

ABC7 New York

Queens law enforcement announced the murder charge and detailed the array of offenses tied to the case. Police emphasized that the investigation remains active and that additional evidence may be pursued. The city’s medical examiner’s office confirmed the cause of death as a single gunshot wound to the head. Community members expressed sorrow, noting that “she got three kids” and underscoring the tragedy’s impact on the neighborhood.

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