Monday, July 13, 2009

Woman murdered in Astoria



From Fox 5:

A family in Astoria, Queens is in shock after finding their 23-year-old daughter dead in her bedroom.

Police say Carmen Saldana's mother found her lying on her bed on Sunday at around 9 p.m. Her feet were cold.

An uncle tells Fox 5 Reporter Linda Schmidt that Saldana looked like she'd been punched and raped. The uncle says her body was naked.

The chain lock on the bedroom door was busted. The light was on.

The family lives at 47-17 30th Avenue.

Police say Saldana's mother last saw her on Friday morning before heading to the Hamptons where she worked as a maid on the weekends.

The 23-year-old was a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.

An active police investigation is underway.

The cause of death has not yet been determined.

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

Seems to me that chain locks on a bedroom door signifies a carved up apartment rented by the Mother/daughter and others whom occupy the apartment. They are probably illegal immigrants and will be difficult if not imposible to trace their where-abouts. Someone took advantage of the daughter which escalated to murder - this need not have ever happened.

Anonymous said...

From a woman's body to illegal immigrants in 4.2 seconds... record time!!

Anonymous said...

The reaction from astorians.com: "47-17 30th Avenue? Wow. What a shame. Isn't there a really good Indian restaurant on that block??

Anonymous said...

Just because they have an ethnic last name and the mother worked as a maid does not mean they were illegal immigrants...idiot

Anonymous said...

actually i happened to know carmen and her family very well...and no they are not illegal immigrants!

=[ im still in shock

Pepper said...

Oh, wow, this is terrible. I think it's strange that her bedroom door would have a lock. Why?

fjf said...

Stupid Question: Why would anyone need a chain lock on their bedroom door in the first place?

Anonymous said...

Ok inspector Columbo....
You gathered all of that by that chain lock huh? So the chain lock proves they were illegal immigrantts, tells you how many were living in there, they rent out the apartment, and it was a sexual encounter gone wrong. Wow whata a supersleuth. Moron I live across the street from the building. It is not a carved apartment. It was a push-in and she ran to lock herself in her room, dick. Yes, your post need not have happened...youre right about that at least.

Anonymous said...

I hope that this criminal is found immediately--the only thing better would be if his was lynched before he made it to jail.

Anonymous said...

The problem is not the supposed racists on the board, but the image of the community.

A person is killed in Harlem you assume (quite reasonably) they are black. A person is assaulted on Fifth Avenue, a strong chance they might me a bit above average income.

And yes, in a community with the largest ethic group now confirmed to be Mexican, with a large segment illegal, you assume rooming house full of aliens.

Deal with it.

Its your community and there is no real civic, no functioning push for quality of life issues. The buildings increasing look shabby, the streets filthy, and everyone that has a piece of real estate cares only to suck as much as they can out of the community.

The club scene is awful as it is sleazy with a healthy body count racked up each year. The lights flicker, the traffic is a disgusting as most of the lowlifes careening behind the wheel, and the air often smells of sewage.

Absentee landlords are now the rule, the presence of foreign languages have taken a big increase on the street lately.

The waterfront was given to developers for a song who are busily clearing you out as they build new towers full of people who think its perfectly fine that they have bike lanes as your kids go to school in trailers.

Yes, considering the image of Astoria, these are perfectly reasonable assumptions.

Deal with it.

Or do something to clean up the day laborers and El Mundo Discount and the roving Taco Truck and the insanity at Halloween.

Which will not happen because the community is loath to speak out on anything as it passively accepts the same tired faces (who have not had a new thought since Johnson was in the White House) to do its thinking.

You are the laughing stock of Queens and NYC because you are too lazy (or gready) to make an effort to turn around the accelerating slide.

Proud of Whitestone said...

Food for through when I see a Paul Vallone poster.

Anonymous said...

Thanks folks for telling first poster off. What a ignorant non-human being. Hope I never run into him/her in a dark alley.

georgetheatheist said...

But Tony Bennett loves Astoria.

Anonymous said...

Tony Bennett (Benedetto) lived in Astoria more than 60 years ago - that's why he loves it. Very different then.

Joe B. said...

Astoria is a beautiful community, I'm sure jamaica is more of a laughing stock, or bed stuy in bk, or washington heights, surely the home of Tony Bennett and mel tormei is not as bad as one poster says. The streets do not smell, the traffic is not as bad as most of manhattan and there is not a huge body count from the "sleazy" night club scene. Obviously the negative nelly who hates on Astoria so much has never been or spent much time here. The reason this brutal and deplorable murder is so shocking is because Astoria is such a safe, colorful and family oriented neighborhood. Maybe when you saw the taco truck you missed the high school kids standing around it, in front of el mundo, you missed the sweet immigrant families shopping on the weekend, and as for the day laborers, where did your ancestors get their start? oh, that's right most likely as CEO's of companies whose collars are as lily white as their admin's skin. Doubt it. God bless the poor girl who was brutally murdered and let's do everything we can to find and bring to justice the animal that commited this heinous act.

Anonymous said...

There were no "day laborers" when my ancestors came here. They needed proof of both a steady job and a sponsor before they were admitted into the country.

Spy vs Spy said...

MYTH
Maybe when you saw the taco truck you missed the high school kids standing around it,

REALITY
Latin Kings colors are sorta nice - yellow and black

MYTH
in front of el mundo, you missed the sweet immigrant families shopping on the weekend,

REALITY
I do like the 'sweet family' remark and your suggestion on how that dump is fitting for them. Is that were your family shops?

How patronizing.

MYTH
and as for the day laborers, where did your ancestors get their start?

REALITY
They were sponsored, did not take a job from Americans, and did not take advantage of the system - there was no system then.

You sound like a hack.

Anonymous said...

there is not a huge body count from the "sleazy" night club scene.

---

talk about dumming down. not a 'huge' count the man says.

If hooka joints full of grim men, Bengladeshi cab stands, and hotspots that talk about the Bosnian question while Eurotrash music plays in the background is your idea of having fun, what can anyone say?

Anonymous said...

All these comments and not one word of sympathy to the girl's family on her untimely and violent death.

To Carmen's family - as another human being who does not care whether you are here legally or not, I am truly sorry for your loss. It is a senseless and horrible ordeal, and I hope the police find the perpetrator and bring him/her to justice.

To my other neighbors who right away jumped to blame the victim, I am truly ashamed.

Anonymous said...

Oh, save it for the make-nicey bullshit at astorians.com

Unknown said...

The news story never said that the chain was on the bedroom door.
The first poster said it, and all of you other idiots took his/her word for it.

Anonymous said...

God bless that girl and her family who now has to deal with this horrible murder. May she rest in peace and may God be there for the family.

Anonymous said...

I lived in Astoria from 1998 to 2002, never did I fear walking down the streets to go to the store with my baby girl. It was a safe community. 44th and 30th to be exact and not too far from Carmen Saldana's home. The murder of Carmen Saldana was not about being and illegal immigrant or alien, SHE WAS A VICTIM AND NOT BY CHOICE! Stop with the innuendos /remarks about the ethnicity of the family/victim. Apples and peaches people. She is a daughter a friend a sister and my prayers got out to her family. Have faith, the murderer will be found and jailed for a long time.

Queens Crapper said...

"The news story never said that the chain was on the bedroom door."

Actually, yes it does. Read it again.

The chain lock on the bedroom door was busted.

M.D said...

I am so sorry Carmen Saldana. You were a great friend! I'll miss you soo much!! Does anyone know how to get info on where the wake and funeral will be?

Melissa A. said...

This girl's mother was my housekeeper and I knew them both. You poor, ignorant disgrace who said they were probably illegal, - no they were not. I cannot believe that you would stoop so low. She was a beautiful, sweet girl and her mother is a nice and caring woman. How dare you. You should be ashamed.

Anonymous said...

It is truly unbelievable how quickly people respond with a negative or cynical comment when a tragedy such as this occurs-especially when what we should be doing is thinking of the poor girl who was murdered in her own bed, in her own home, where she should have felt the safest. And for her poor mother to come home after work to find her beloved daughter, dead, not knowing what her daughter suffered during those last minutes of her life.

As a mother, I know that I would be hoping and praying that although she was murdered, that it was quick and she didn't feel much pain.

At times like these, we should think how lucky we are that our loved ones are safe and that something like this has not happened to us. Not “why is her bedroom door chained?”. The reporter mentioned that the door was chained, referring to the front door…..but of course, people like to believe in the worst. They like to put in their 2 cents where it doesn’t belong. Where it doesn’t even matter. How dare you, you idiot!

Regardless who this girl was, she did not deserve to be murdered before her life even began. Whether she was an immigrant or not, an upstanding citizen, or not, is irrelevant. She was a human being with a heart and soul. This is what people should remember before they open up their ignorant mouths to speak.

If you don’t have something intelligent to say, keep your trap shut!

Another point regarding Astoria. I grew up in Astoria and during my most recent visit, I was impressed at how clean & well kept the neighborhood was. You just have to take a walk in the area where Carmen was murdered and you will see a neighborhood full of pride, clean streets and houses, full of plants and blooming flowers. An area where you’d feel safe to walk around and enjoy time with your family.

Unfortunately, this murder has touched a bit too close to home and now this sense of security is now a false one….Human lives do not amount to much these days if killing someone is so easy….It’s truly a pity.

I extend my condolences to Carmen’s family…nothing anyone says will take the pain away. But I’m sure it helps to know that there are some people out there that really do care….

Anonymous said...

First, my condolences to family and friends.
Now, to try and address some of the ignorance around here...

And yes, in a community with the largest ethic group now confirmed to be Mexican, with a large segment illegal

Show us where this has been "confirmed." It surely isn't in the most recent census data or NYC population data. Did you personally conduct a more thorough demographic poll of western Queens? I'm especially interested in how you ascertained the legal status of all residents.

The waterfront was given to developers for a song who are busily clearing you out as they build new towers

This is nowhere near the waterfront. I'm beginning to think you've never been to the area you're talking about.

Or do something to clean up... the roving Taco Truck and the insanity at Halloween.

First of all, "the roving Taco Truck," if it's the same one I order from, is quite legit, clean, and they serve up some tasty food. For those of you not adventurous enough to try new foods, there's always McDonalds and Nathans. Or applesauce and mashed peas.

And the "insanity" at Halloween? The halloweens around here are completely tame. It's the Fourth of July celebrations on my block - buncha jobless cracker punks living with their mommies, gettin' drunk and shooting fireworks at cars - that irritate me the most.

Anonymous said...

Writer was talking about the area as a whole, that's why the waterfront was mentioned. As for your questioning the ethnic data:

"Mexicans have grown to become the largest immigrant group in Astoria"

Astoria Times citing Department of City Planning analysis of census data, 7/9/09

Homeland Security stats for Mexicans and other illegals are here.

Anonymous said...

All it seems to me that who ever this person bashing Astoria (which I am from), must of had his heart broken by an Astorian. Let me say this, it could have been your sister, mother, daughter or wife for that matter and calling them illegal immigrants she was going to F.I.T. (Hello you can not go to college here and be illegal). now I don't know your ethnicity, but bashing the a neighborhood that is one of the greatest meltingpots anywhere in the world. yes we have very diverse group of nationalities. from asian, indian, greek, italian, polish, black, arab, latinos and so forth. Stating that it smells of garbage, you must be smelling your own breath. because there is nothing but garbage coming out of your mouth. BUt lets not get away from the matter at hand. What happened to this girl is unforgivable. She had a future in front of her, and it was taken from her she was taken from her family. Now I did not know this young woman, but I wish I could find out who the animal was. He would beg for me to put him out of his misery. he will remember that girls face for the rest of his life, the coward.

Anonymous said...

"(Hello you can not go to college here and be illegal)."

You most certainly can.

Anonymous said...

Why do we care about the legal status of the victim and her family?

Catch the perpetrator and wring his neck. My brother's best friend's sister was the victim of a push-in rape twenty years ago, and before the year was out the community drove the rapist and his family out. Now we coddle the rapist and persecute his victim.

I will be praying for this girl and for the restoration of decency to Astoria where I have lived for nearly 50 years.

Anonymous said...

That's what goes on here. Someone makes a comment that others don't like, and instead of ignoring it and refocusing the conversation back to the original topic, every single commenter MUST refute what was said and then go on a moral tirade about how dare he/she say it. Grow up already.

Anonymous said...

You are disgusting to make accusations about someone you do not know. I wonder what hole you crawled out of to disrespect a family that is mourning the death of this woman. You have nothing better to do with your life.

Anonymous said...

Admittedly irrelevant to current post, but good background to avoid further inaccurate statements:

...the largest ethic group now confirmed to be Mexican...
"Mexicans have grown to become the largest immigrant group in Astoria"
...citing Department of City Planning analysis of census data, 7/9/09


1. "Mexican" is not an ethnicity.

2. Mexicans are alleged to be the largest IMMIGRANT group, not the largest ETHNIC group. This is important distinction.

3. DCP "analysis of census data" means their estimate of what it might be now, based on US Census estimates of what it might have been a few years ago, based on the actual 2000 US census counts. Everything is an estimate tracing back to the most recent decennial census. As the next census won't be until 2010, I would venture that this "fact" is still a year away from being "confirmed."

Anonymous said...

It need not take a census tracker to confirm it, just walk around Astoria (no Ditmars is not typical of Astoria, but will look like the rest of the area soon enough)

The mistake was to attack the family, but the point of the area rapidly becoming ghetto is correct.

There have been a number of robberies and break-ins within the immediate block over the past 6 months - 6 on this block, 4 in that building etc etc.

Of couse none of this is getting released to the public.

Can't have Mr Public Safety look like he is not doing his job.

Anonymous said...

2. Mexicans are alleged to be the largest IMMIGRANT group, not the largest ETHNIC group. This is important distinction.
------------

To the rest of us not writing grants to make some income off this mess the community is in, or Columbia students assigned to Astoria, it really doesn't make a difference.

Really!

Anonymous said...

I can't believe the idiocy I'm reading. I'm so disgusted. This girl went to school her whole life in NY. She visited Mexico bc that is where her roots are from. This is a human being that has been murdered. My friend knows her and is devastated. I'm sickened by what has happened to her but most of all I'm sickened to know that you people are out there.

Anonymous said...

People who respect her family's suffering and want to see justice done are out her too and that includes some very silent and very angry people.

Anonymous said...

To the rest of us not writing grants to make some income off this mess the community is in, or Columbia students assigned to Astoria, it really doesn't make a difference.

Uh, yeah... whatever.
The difference is that Mexicans can be the largest immigrant group, while Euro-descended whites are still the largest ethnic group by far.

Anonymous said...

My condolensces to the loved ones she leaves behind. I hope and pray her rapist/murderer is caught by vigilantes and torn to shreds!..RIP

To the ignorant 'Anonymous' who tore Astoria to shreds!!

I was born raised in Astoria, we are NOT lazy Astorians who don't give a fuck..we actually do try to make Astoria better!

O, and you bet illegals are turned in, you bet we try for a cleaner Astoria!!

Astoria clubs are beautifully built, the diners, restaurants are so classic looking in their Greek/Cypriot styles...We have Indian cuisine diners/restaurants and they too are beautifully built. There is way less traffic than in Manhattan, Astoria is minutes away from Manhattan...and everyone seeks to live there..more and more beautiful homes/apartment buildings are being built!

Rock on Astoria

Anonymous said...

A school near Kaufman Studios, The Tony Bennett/Frank Sinatra school of arts, I believe it's called, has finally finished in Astoria.

Property value is increasing and yes landlords will raise the rents. With everything on the rise due to Bush/Cheney's fucked up reign, landlords need to raise rents!....

DEAL WITH IT!

Anonymous said...

WHY DIDDNT THEY FIND HER PANTIES OR CLOTHES IF SHE WAS RAPED. LOOKS LIKE A ROBBERY GONE WRONG

Anonymous said...

Somebody knows the savage that did this.Hopefully the pd and possibly some other folks will come up with some reward $$$$. a little publicity along with $$$ and someone will give this scumbag up.

Anonymous said...

Astoria has a 60% white ethnic make-up. Get your facts straight Mr. "Assumption". And no they are not reasonable assumptions....that's what assumptions are....suppositions in absence of facts.

Anonymous said...

It was the front door chain ppl...whta is so strange about that? Geez

Anonymous said...

i was born and raised in Astoria and proud of it. its very sad that this young girl had to die the way she did however animals like the one who killed her obviously followed her home. does not mean he himself is from Astoria. the neighborhood has nothing to do with the sick person who did this. whats even more sad is how you people turned her murder into a back and forth fighting battle about illegal immigrants . enough already. there is good and bad in every race. move on and focus on trying to get along cause no one is going anywhere anytime soon. oh and the idiot that said "isnt there a good indian restaurant on that block" is another sick animal. how dare you make a comment like that when the discusson is about a girl that was killed. you must not have a daughter, you jerk!!!!

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