Nearly two dozen of New York City's "most dangerous" gang members were taken off the streets in a major bust sparked by the stray-bullet killing of an innocent Queens mom two years ago, authorities said Tuesday.
The tragic March 2021 death of 37-year-old mother of two Gudelia Vallinas — shot on her way back from shopping for her family — prompted an investigation that ultimately led to the 84-count indictment against 23 reputed gang members, according to prosecutors.
"Miss Vallinas is our American dream, whose life was suddenly halted due to gang members recklessly firing bullets, with total disregard of anybody around them," Queens District Attorney Deputy Chief Jason Savino said, decrying the act of violence as "absolutely horrific."
Vallinas, an immigrant from Mexico who cleaned houses for a living, was walking home on March 21, 2021, in Woodside when she was hit in the head by a stray bullet — in a shooting that authorities said was part of an ongoing war between two gangs.
The feud started in 2018 when the alliance between the two Crips gangs in Woodside and Astoria public housing developments fell apart over a drug deal.
Since then, the crews have repeatedly taunted each other on social media and in drill rap videos, leading to drive-by shootings on mopeds and brazen daytime gunfights, authorities said.
"The reckless criminality we saw during this investigation is the kind of lawlessness that has killed law-abiding citizens of New York that have been caught in the crossfire of gang violence," Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said at a press conference announcing the indictment.
The Astoria Houses set of Crips is the “Rolling Crips” — who rap under the name “Hip Hop Boys.” The Woodside Houses members, meanwhile, belong to the “8 Trey Crip” set and rap as the “True Cash Gettas,” according to the DA's Office.
Savino said the indictment targets the "alphas" in the gang. Those charged range in age from 21 to 40.
Eighteen of the men face charges connected to shootings, prosecutors said. Fifteen face counts of attempted murder, while the rest were charged with conspiracy and other crimes.