Missing Queens Mother Found Buried, Father of Two of Her Children Charged

A missing New York mother was found dead in a shallow grave in Queens days after her family began looking for her, and police arrested a man who shared children with her. The discovery ended the search for Seraphina Pereira, 35, while opening a murder prosecution against someone connected to her family.

Pereira was reported missing after she disappeared from the Far Rockaway area in October. Family members posted photographs and missing-person notices as they tried to find her. On October 24, police recovered human remains from a shallow grave in a park near Beach 58th Street. The medical examiner later confirmed the body was hers.

Authorities said she had been shot in the head. Police subsequently arrested Rogelio Lozano-Garita, 26, who was identified in published coverage as a former partner and the father of two of Pereira’s children. He faces a murder charge as well as allegations involving a weapon and concealment of a body.

The search begins in the neighborhood

Pereira’s disappearance prompted concern from relatives who said leaving her children without contact would have been out of character. CBS New York spoke with family members after the body was identified. Her sister-in-law Brenda Gorczynski described the family’s disbelief at how long she had been missing without an explanation.

According to the family account reported by CBS, Pereira had married Gorczynski’s brother, and they had two sons together before his death in 2019. The family described Pereira as an involved parent whose disappearance did not fit their understanding of her daily life.

ABC7 New York reported that flyers bearing Pereira’s name and photograph were visible around the neighborhood. The search had a public dimension as residents watched officers investigate and waited for information about the missing woman.

Discovery near Beach 58th Street

Police and the city medical examiner identified Pereira after her remains were found in the park on Saturday. An early ABC7 report described a gunshot injury and said investigators were questioning a person of interest in connection with the discovery.

Police and hostage negotiators later gathered at the Ocean Bay Apartments in Edgemere while looking for a man believed to be in a residence on Beach 54th Street. Officers did not find him at that location, but he was located elsewhere nearby, according to the station’s account.

People reported that Lozano-Garita was arrested on October 26 and accused of murder, possession of a weapon, concealment of a human corpse and tampering with physical evidence. The reported charges are allegations that remain subject to court adjudication.

A family waits for answers

In interviews with CBS New York, Pereira’s family spoke about her character and the loss to the children she helped raise. A vigil was also planned to bring people together in her memory, according to published coverage.

References: CBS New York | ABC7 New York | People

The Truth In Facts team was assisted by generative AI technology in creating this content