Maria Santos Flores had just returned home from her overnight shift at a Brooklyn sports bar when she was found dead with her throat slit inside her Bay Ridge residence, police said.
The 36-year-old bartender was discovered by her sister Saturday morning at her home on 85th Street near 4th Avenue, according to the NYPD and her devastated family. The victim had suffered a cut to her neck, authorities confirmed.
Background
Flores worked nights at Huatulco Sports Bar in Sunset Park, her family said. Her husband, Antonio Hernandez, told reporters she had arrived home in the morning after finishing her shift. He said he left for work around 7:30 a.m. and found his wife had not yet returned when he took his car earlier that morning.
The couple has been married for three years and has two children ages 3 and 17, who were home at the time of the crime, Hernandez said.
"She liked to help people and she took care of her family," said sister Daisy Flores, crying outside the residence. "We don't understand what happened."
The family emigrated from El Salvador, relatives told the New York Post.
The Investigation
Police have not identified a suspect or announced any arrests in connection with the homicide as investigators work to establish a motive. Officers placed yellow evidence markers on items along the sidewalk outside the home, including what appeared to be a bloody tissue, according to photos from the scene. Detectives carried evidence bags from the residence to an NYPD crime scene truck.
Hernandez said authorities have not yet provided details about what happened inside his home.
"The police aren't telling us what happened yet," he told reporters. "We are waiting. We don't know anything. There is a suspicion that someone followed her home from work."
Flores' sister Angelica, who made the grim discovery, stood with other relatives outside the residence as the family mourned.
"I came to visit her and found her like this," she said through tears. "She had just come home from work."
Key Takeaways
- Maria Santos Flores, 36, was found dead inside her Bay Ridge, Brooklyn home Saturday morning with a cut to her neck
- Her sister discovered the body; her husband said their two children, ages 3 and 17, were home at the time of the crime
- The victim worked nights as a bartender at Huatulco Sports Bar in Sunset Park
- Investigators have not identified a suspect or established a motive
- Family members say they are from El Salvador and do not understand why she was killed
What's Next
The NYPD's 68th Precinct, which covers Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, is investigating. The precinct has recorded one homicide this year following the incident. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact law enforcement.
Crime statistics show New York City has experienced a 23% decline in murders so far this year, with 111 homicides reported compared to 144 at the same point last year.