On the afternoon of February 7, 2022, 39-year-old Gloria Ortiz was killed in a drive-by shooting on East 137th Street in Mott Haven, the Bronx. Surveillance footage showed a white BMW drive by around 4:10 p.m. while someone inside opened fire on a group on the sidewalk. Ortiz was struck in the head and later pronounced dead at a local hospital; two men with her, ages 32 and 23, were shot in the back and survived. Police said the violence appeared connected to a dispute between rival tow truck businesses.

Investigators made an arrest in May 2022, charging 27-year-old Jason Rivera with murder, attempted murder, and assault. Further federal probes later identified a violent criminal enterprise operating under the cover of an auto repair and tow company. Prosecutors allege that Christian Lugo, also known as Coco, ordered a targeted attack that resulted in Ortiz’s death and was later charged in an indictment. Ortiz’s son, Jacob Brito, told the court his mother had taken over the family towing business after her husband was killed and had been trying to legitimize it.

Did anyone in the Mott Haven towing community have information about rivalries or threats leading up to this shooting?