Queens man stabbed 8 times at birthday party shot to death while on phone to 911

A Queens antheral attending a day enactment astatine a neighbor’s location called 911 aft being stabbed 8 times — lone to beryllium shot to death portion inactive connected the phone, constabulary said.

Lenner Zuniga was robbed of cocaine helium was selling on with his compartment telephone and currency erstwhile helium was changeable successful the caput and torso astir 3:00 a.m. Sunday, cops say.

“During the 911 telephone you tin perceive him pleading,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. “You perceive the gunshots.”

Zuniga, 35, was 4 blocks from his South Richmond Hill location erstwhile helium was slain attending a day bash successful an flat connected 125th St. adjacent 103rd Ave. that constabulary picture arsenic a “flophouse.”

About 9 men were attending the enactment erstwhile a combat broke retired and Zuniga fled into the bath and made his hopeless 911 call.

Medics rushed Zuniga to Jamaica Hospital but helium could not beryllium saved.

“I’m feeling very, precise atrocious close now,” the victim’s uncle Orlando Zuniga told the Daily News. “I’m really, truly broke inside.”

The tenant of the flat told constabulary helium had gone retired to the store during the enactment and erstwhile helium got got backmost everyone had near but for Zuniga, who was dead, constabulary sources said.

Lenner Zuniga was killed successful a gathering connected 125th St. adjacent 103rd Ave. successful South Richmond Hill, Queens, astir 3 a.m. Sunday. (Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News)

The building’s landlord told the Daily News the tenant consistently creates problems successful the building.

“He has been causing a batch of disturbance,” the landlord said. “He is expected to unrecorded successful the flat by himself, nary smoking oregon drinking, but helium doesn’t attraction astir the rules and helium brings radical from the thoroughfare inside.”

The victim’s devastated friends and neighbors remembered him arsenic a kindhearted antheral who cared for stray cats successful the neighborhood, mounting up a feeding presumption for the felines extracurricular his home.

Lenner Zuniga was fatally changeable successful Queens connected Sunday morning. (Obtained by Daily News)

“He conscionable loved animals,” said a 49-year-old neighbour who did not supply her name. “He virtually each greeting volition travel retired and provender them.”

“This was a small portion ago,” she added. “Probably during the summertime erstwhile they were babies. He was acrophobic astir wintertime. He was hoping to drawback 1 oregon 2 to keep. And helium was trying to get radical to follow them.”

Lenner Zuniga was killed successful a gathering connected 125th St. adjacent 103rd Ave. successful South Richmond Hill, Queens, astir 3 a.m. Sunday. (Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News)

According to a transgression complaint, Zuniga was charged with battle for shoving his 74-year-old next-door neighbour to the crushed connected Sept. 30. He was released without bail and was owed backmost successful Queens Criminal Court Nov. 20.

“I deliberation they were arguing due to the fact that she was sweeping connected his side, thing to that effect,” said the neighbour . “She doesn’t similar erstwhile you parkland connected her side.”

Friends gathered extracurricular Zuniga’s location Tuesday to wage their respects to his family.

“He loved his parent a lot,” said Javier Enamorado, 35, arsenic Zuniga’s parent could beryllium heard wailing inside.

Enamorado’s sister, who said they met the unfortunate erstwhile they lived successful the aforesaid building, said everyone who knew Zuniga is having a hard time.

“The ma called. So that’s wherefore we came. We conscionable recovered out. So it’s precise shocking, everything,” said the erstwhile neighbor, who did not springiness her name. “She conscionable called america and we came to spot her. She cannot adjacent talk.”

“Sometimes you’re conscionable successful the incorrect place,” she said of the circumstances of Zuniga’s death. “You don’t adjacent cognize who’s gonna beryllium there. Who’s gonna drawback oregon what’s gonna happen.”

The shooting marks the 3rd homicide this twelvemonth successful Queens’ 102nd Precinct, which saw 7 slayings successful each of 2023, according to NYPD statistics.

There person been nary arrests but Kenny said constabulary person identified a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the case.