Queens, NY – A Howard Beach man has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for fatally shooting a tarot card reader he believed had placed a curse on him. The killing occurred outside the victim’s Ozone Park home in broad daylight, sending pedestrians running for cover.
Prosecutors said the shooting left the community shaken and the victim’s family devastated.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Giuseppe Canzani, 45, of 88th Street in Howard Beach, pleaded guilty on September 8 to first-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of 51-year-old Anna Torres.
Justice Kenneth Holder of Queens Supreme Court sentenced Canzani to 23 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.
Daylight killing outside victim’s home
According to the investigation, on May 4, 2022, at approximately 2:26 p.m., Canzani went to Torres’ residence on 109th Avenue in Ozone Park and knocked on her front door. When Torres answered, Canzani shot her in the neck and arm before fleeing in a Chevrolet Traverse.
Police responded to the scene at approximately 2:35 p.m. and found Torres unresponsive. She was pronounced dead a short time later.
Defendant surrenders at precinct
At about 3:22 p.m., Canzani arrived at the 106th Precinct in the same vehicle, placed a .45-caliber silver handgun on the sidewalk, and told officers, “I want to turn myself in, I’m not here to hurt you guys. I’m here because of the woman I shot.”
Investigators said Canzani told police he believed Torres was “a witch” and that she had placed a curse on him that endangered his family.
Prosecutor condemns senseless act
District Attorney Katz said the defendant’s actions “shattered the victim’s family and shocked the Ozone Park community.”
She added that while no sentence can undo the loss, the court’s decision “provides Ms. Torres’ loved ones another step forward in the healing process.”
