QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — A hitman is suspected of fatally shooting a Queens woman in front of her home earlier this year because a male relative owed her an unpaid debt, authorities said Tuesday.
Mingliang Zhen from Massachusetts, Prosecutors say the 50-year-old suspect is accused of shooting a 45-year-old woman in the leg as she was putting laundry in her car in front of her home in Flushing on March 19 around 12:30 p.m. . The victim survived with injuries.
According to authorities, Chung told the woman, “My boss told me to give her money” before she was fired.
Officials said Chung told the victim that if a male relative did not pay, he would shoot the entire family. The status of the debt was unclear.
According to prosecutors, on the day of the shooting, Chung followed the victim to several locations and ambushed him as he parked his Honda Odyssey and waited for the victim to return home.
Prior to the incident, on February 26, the defendant allegedly threatened the victim’s 57-year-old sister and kept her house under surveillance for several weeks.
Chung fled to Massachusetts after the incident and was arrested on August 8th. Chung was extradited to New York on Thursday to be arraigned on assault and weapons charges, authorities said.
Zheng has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail, according to public court records. His attorney could not immediately be reached Tuesday.
“The defendant shot the victim simply to settle the score. Fortunately, in this case, the victim survived, and the defendant will now be held accountable. Massachusetts law enforcement for bringing the defendant to justice. We thank the agency,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Mila Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. Learn more about her work here.