SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2005

D.A. BROWN: EX-BOYFRIEND CHARGED IN MURDER OF FOREST HILLS WOMAN AND THE ABANDONMENT OF HER 4-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that Cesar Ascarrunz, 32, of 111-17 66th Avenue in Forest Hills, has been charged with two counts of Murder in the Second Degree (intentional and depraved indifference) regarding the death of his former girlfriend Monica Lozada, and one count each of Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree, Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Child Abandonment with regard to his having left Ms. Lozado’s 4-year-old daughter Valery alone and without shoes at one o’clock last Sunday morning on a dark street in Middle Village and Tampering with Physical Evidence.

District Attorney Brown said, “This is a terribly sad and tragic case – not only in terms of the apparent violent death of Monica Lozado but also in terms of that which occurred with respect to her 4-year-old daughter. The child was dropped off and abandoned in the middle of the night shivering and without shoes on a darkened residential street. She could easily have wandered into the roadway and been hit by a car, and suffered serious injury or even death. Fortunately, she was taken in by a neighborhood resident who called the police. The child has captured the hearts of all New Yorkers and my only hope is that she will be able to survive the emotional trauma of that which has occurred and grow up to lead a normal life.”

The District Attorney said that the defendant will be arraigned later today in Criminal Court in Kew Gardens, and that he will ask that the defendant be held without bail pending the action of the Grand Jury.

The defendant faces up to 25 years to life on the murder charges, up to seven years on the endangering charges and up to four years on the tampering charge.

It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.