SOUNDVIEW — A Bronx fugitive who police said shot a 59-year-old mother to death and wounded her daughter may have fled to Virginia, police sources said.
Raymond Maryant, 25, has been on the run ever since fatally shooting Elzina Brown, 59, and wounding her daughter, Diamond Dunn, Thursday afternoon in their Story Avenue apartment, sources said.
Dunn, 22, was dating Maryant and the two reportedly have a child together, sources said.
Brown had a gunshot wound to her chest when officers arrived at 1790 Story Ave. about 1 p.m., police said. Dunn had been shot in the face, according to the NYPD.
The Daily News reported that the shooting was preceded by an argument over Maryant and Dunn's child. According to her Facebook profile, Dunn has a daughter.
The paper reported that after Maryant drew his weapon, Brown stepped in front of Dunn to shield her from the gunfire. After Brown collapsed, Maryant fired off another shot into Dunn's face, the paper reported.
Brown was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The killing marked the first homicide in the city in 2013 after a record-low murder rate for the year before.
Dunn, meanwhile, was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where she was listed in stable condition, police said.
Maryant, who lives in the University Heights section of The Bronx, may be hiding out in Virginia, where he has roots, sources said.
Neighbors said Brown was an NYPD crossing guard and was widely regarded as a mother figure in the building, often looking after other tenants' children.
"This should have never happened to her," said DJ Cheeks, a neighbor. "She was just the nicest person. I don't know [Mayrant], but he better never show his face around here again."
"She was like a nanny to a lot of the children in the building," said another neighbor, who asked not to be identified. "It's sad, because we lost someone who everyone trusted, and those people don't come along all that often."
