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Updated 02/11/2011 09:08 AM

Queens Man Fatally Shoots Pharmacy Worker, Commits Suicide

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Police are investigating after a Queens man shot and killed a woman working inside a pharmacy Thursday before turning the gun on himself.

It happened around 3:40 p.m. inside Crescent Chemists located at 24-12 34th Avenue in Long Island City.

Queens Man Fatally Shoots Pharmacy Worker, Commits Suicide

A witness who was inside the store at the time says the suspect, identified by police as Alex Figueroa, 38, entered the pharmacy, handed the victim a bouquet of flowers, and then shot her in the head.

The victim, identified as Guimmia Villia, 32, was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Police say Figueroa fled the scene and was later found inside an apartment at the nearby Ravenswood Houses with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neighborhood residents say Villia, a mother of two, lived in the area her entire life and had worked at the pharmacy as a cashier for about a year to make extra money to support her family.

Family and friends say Figueroa was the ex-boyfriend and father of Villia's two young sons and that he had a reputation for violence. Witnesses say Villa had orders of protection against Figueroa.

"He had problems with her she started having new relationship I don't know he just lost it," said one neighborhood resident.

"He was stalking my daughter she went to the precinct a few times nothing happened now look what happened," said another.

An investigation is ongoing.