FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com january 23, 2014 • The Courier SUN 3 PHOTO VIA NYPD Miguel Mejia-Ramos was arrested in Texas after murdering his wife and children in their Jamaica apartment. Nab man on the run in murder of wife, kids BY CRI STABELLE TUMOLA ctumola@queenscourier.com A Jamaica man suspected in the brutal killing of his wife and two young daughters has been apprehended in Texas, police said. Miguel Mejia-Ramos, 28, was arrested by U.S. Marshals just before midnight on Monday, January 20 between Austin and Houston, according to published reports. Charges are pending and he will appear in court before being extradited back to New York, cops said. Police had been looking for Mejia-Ramos since discovering his wife, 21-year-old Deisy Garcia, and their children, Daniela Mejia, 2, and Yaslin Mejia, 1, stabbed to death in a bedroom of their Sutphin Boulevard apartment just after 7 p.m. Sunday. Each victim had multiple stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, the NYPD said. Garcia was reportedly a frequent churchgoer and her local parish, Iglesia Naciones Unidas en Cristo, said “our cry for her family is that God will fill them with peace and strength.” “We give thanks to God for the years He gave her and for all the time we were able to share with her and her marvelous daughters,” they said. Garcia, a native of Guatemala, was also a student at York College, according to her Facebook page. With additional reporting by Maggie Hayes A fundraiser was held to raise money for Brittany Zaita (left), a Howard Beach teen diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. BENEFIT FOR BRITTANY BY MAGGIE HAYES mhayes@queenscourier.com Back in October, Brittany Zaita was diagnosed with a tumor that only affects one in eight million children. The 16 year old also got the news that her tumor is one of the 10 percent that are cancerous. “When she was diagnosed, I felt like I was going to fall apart,” said Alisa Zaita, her mother. “It’s all brand new. We just got thrown into this waterfall Rockaway ferry will stay afloat BY MAGGIE HAYES mhayes@queenscourier.com The Rockaway Ferry will stay afloat at least until May. “While the Rockaway Ferry service began as an emergency measure, serving residents after Hurricane Sandy devastated other public transit options, it has since proved to be a valuable part of the city’s transportation infrastructure,” said Kyle Kimball, NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) president. The ferry service, which connects Beach 108th Street, the Brooklyn Army Terminal and Lower Manhattan, was slated to end January 31, but will continue throughout the next several months with an option to extend further until August. However, instead of $2 one-way tickets, the price to ride will be $3.50. The EDC will additionally determine the viability of long-term service and identify a ferry operator. Next month, the EDC will issue a Request for Proposals to make this determination, which will monitor ridership during the extension and show whether an additional extension to August is necessary. This is the fourth extension of the ferry since its initial launch in November 2012. Since then it has carried more than 200,000 passengers. “We are committed to the Rockaways’ recovery. From accelerating rebuilding programs to today’s ferry extension, we are going to keep our focus on communities hit hard by Sandy to ensure no one is left behind,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. and it was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m drowning, what am I going to do?’” The paraganglioma tumor outside Brittany’s kidney metastasized to her spine in several areas, and since it is so rare, treatment options and therapies are few and far between. The Howard Beach family held a fundraiser at Russo’s on the Bay on Monday, January 20 to promote their daughter’s cause and raise funds for her treatment. The formal dinner event brought in almost 700 people. “I’m so thankful that everyone would be so compassionate,” Brittany said. “I don’t have words.” The high school junior said she was “surprised” when she got her diagnosis. “I feel like I have to take it in stride, one day at a time,” she said. “I try to stay positive and just surround myself with good people, good energy.” After her diagnosis, Brittany underwent an over eight hour surgery to remove the tumor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Now, she is stable but receives regular scans to make sure the tumor doesn’t reappear and also takes blood pressure medication every day. “This is going to be a lifelong thing,” said her mother. Next, the Zaitas will head to Bethesda, Maryland to the National Institute of Health, a leader in treating this cancer. PHOTO BY JENNINE DOLAN PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK
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