Police apprehended a homeless man on Tuesday, over seven years after a shooting in the Bronx that resulted in the death of his mother.
Jonathan Odenthal, 31, was arrested around 6 PM following a tip from NYPD Crimestoppers related to the murder of 48-year-old Cindy Diaz, which occurred on January 6, 2017.
According to police, Diaz was shot in the torso and arm around 5:30 PM while walking along Boston Road near East Tremont Avenue after picking up food from McDonald’s for her four children.
She was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital, but unfortunately, she could not be saved.
“She was innocent. All she was doing was getting food for the kids,” her son, Angel Rosario, reflected from their family apartment located on 179th Avenue at that time.
“It’s scary. It’s a tragedy in every sense. It’s just senseless when you think about what happened,” he added.
Another individual, 18 years old, was also shot in the arm during the chaotic incident.
Reports indicate that this teenager, who had a record of six previous arrests, was thought to be the intended target of the shooting.
He was treated at Jacobi Hospital and later questioned at the local precinct.
Diaz left behind four sons: Liam (15), Takis (14), Reino (13), and Ziavno (11), all of whom were attending various schools in the East Tremont area.
“They’re doing well. She always sat with them, helped them with their studies—that’s why they’re bright,” Rosario noted at the time. “That’s what she was all about.”
The NYPD and the mayor’s office had previously offered a reward of $20,000 for information leading to the suspect’s arrest and conviction.
