On the evening of January 7, 2024, 39-year-old Omar Espinal was found shot while sitting in the driver’s seat of his Honda Civic on West 135th Street in Harlem. Police responded to a 911 call at about 6:22 p.m.; he was taken to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital and pronounced dead shortly after 7:00 p.m. Espinal had gunshot wounds to the head and neck area.

Investigators say Espinal left his Hudson Heights home around 5:30 p.m. and parked on 135th Street near 6:00 p.m. Surveillance and witness accounts described an SUV circling the block, parking behind his car, and a man exiting, opening the passenger door and reaching into Espinal’s vehicle. A struggle followed and a fatal shot was fired. The street was known for illicit drug sales, marijuana was reportedly found at the scene, and Espinal had prior arrests for drug-related offenses. Police identified a very strong person of interest and recovered a vehicle for forensic processing.

Did anyone in the neighborhood see the SUV or the man who approached Espinal that evening?