On the evening of March 22, 2018, Saferino Flores Pineda, a 31-year-old Hispanic man, was shot and killed inside the 5 de Mayo grocery at 81-06 Roosevelt Ave in Jackson Heights. The shooting happened at about 8:15 p.m.; authorities described it as an ambush and suspected a gang connection. Emergency services took Pineda to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to a criminal complaint, one man engaged Pineda in conversation inside the store while a second man approached from behind and shot him three times. Both assailants fled. The 110th Precinct Detective Squad arrested Gamaliel Desiderio-Sanchez, 28, of the Bronx, on March 26, 2018, and Fabian DeJesus-Garcia, 28, of Corona, on March 30, 2018. Both were charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

The killing happened in a busy commercial area; what led to Pineda being targeted remains a central question. If anyone knew Saferino Flores Pineda or saw the incident at the 5 de Mayo that night, please share what was seen or heard.