A Queens man has been charged with shooting his 22-year-old girlfriend in the head, according to the borough’s District Attorney.
The alleged shooter, 30-year-old Steven Diaz, initially told authorities that he and the woman, Amanda Rivera, had been the victims of a home invasion carried out by three masked robbers.
Diaz allegedly shot Rivera between 4:30 and 6:30 a.m. on Sunday with a 9mm handgun inside their Kew Gardens home, the district attorney said. Diaz then allegedly disposed of the gun by throwing it in a sewer before driving the victim to the hospital.
Police found more than ten pounds of marijuana at the home during an investigation, according to the DA.
Diaz was charged with attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of marijuana, criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with physical evidence, the DA said. Diaz faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Rivera is listed in critical condition. District Attorney Richard Brown said that if Rivera does not survive, the charges against Diaz will be upgraded.
