‘It’s a slap in the face’: Daughter of NYC mom gunned down on dog walk slams judge for letting ‘killer’ out on low bail despite his vendetta against the family that saw him break into their home with hammer months before the killing
A grieving daughter has joined New York City’s soft justice against criminals after her mother was allegedly shot by a man who was out on bail despite a vendetta against her.
Natalie Questa, 32, said it was ‘a slap in the face’. Lenue Moore allegedly shot Jaqueline Billini, 57, family friend LeVaugh Harvin, 42, and her pit bull Zeus while walking the dog.
Moore was accused in April of breaking into Billini’s home in Washington Heights, Manhattan, where he broke her arm and hit Questa’s boyfriend in the head with a hammer during an argument between neighbors over Billini’s dog barking.
Shocking footage of the attack was widely shared online, showing the hammer-wielding brute forcing his way into the apartment during the brutal attack.
The 31-year-old was arrested but released on a low bond before being charged with shooting the victims five months later in September.
Natalie Questa, 32, said it was ‘a slap in the face’. Lenue Moore allegedly shot Jaqueline Billini (pictured), 57, family friend LeVaugh Harvin, 42, and her pit bull Zeus while they were walking
Moore (pictured) was charged in April with breaking into Billini’s home in Washington Heights, Manhattan, where he broke her arm and hit Questa’s boyfriend in the head with a hammer during an argument between neighbors over Billini’s barking dog.
Shocking footage of the attack was widely shared online, showing the hammer-wielding brute smashing his way into the apartment during the brutal attack.
Questa told The New York Post her mother had a “heart of gold” and said Judge Melissa Lewis’ decision to set low bail “devastated us.”
She continued, “It felt like that was a slap in the face.” Questa revealed that her mother was even employed by the court as an analyst in state court in the Bronx.
She continued, “My mother believed in the justice system. But it’s like, what happened to us in the end?
‘We did everything the right way. We didn’t take revenge, we didn’t do anything. We let the court do its work and see what ultimately happened to my mother.”
She added, “I felt like (the judge and the district attorney’s office) never took us seriously. I can never get my mother back.
“I can’t fucking go home and see my mother. They can go home and rest peacefully, but I can’t. I’ll never have my mother.’
Questa said her mother (pictured) had a ‘heart of gold’ and the judge’s decision to set low bail ‘devastated us’
Detectives quickly linked the double homicide to Billini’s neighbor, Moore. He was arrested last April after kicking in her door and trying to hit her with a hammer (pictured)
Billini and Harvin were walking along Highbridge Park along Edgecombe Avenue when Moore allegedly opened fire around 6:30 p.m. on September 29.
They were pronounced dead at the scene. Billini’s beloved pit bull, Zeus, was also fatally shot.
Detectives quickly linked the double homicide to Billini’s neighbor, Moore. He was arrested last April after kicking in her door and trying to hit her with a hammer.
During the attack, Billini’s relatives tried to push the door closed, while the neighbor kicked it and swung a hammer through the hole when it became large enough.
As Moore threw his full weight against the door, it hit Billini’s arm so hard that it broke, according to court documents.
“He had mental problems, as shown by what the prosecutor said,” her cousin, Luis Billini, told the newspaper Daily news from New York.
Moore was reportedly enraged by the barking of the three dogs in Billini’s apartment.
After the attack, he was arrested but released on $5,000 bail after being arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court.
He was later indicted on a slew of charges, including burglary and assault with a weapon with intent to injure.
A judge approved protective orders for Billini and her family, forcing Moore to leave the apartment complex and move in with a friend a few blocks away.
Months later, Billini still felt threatened. Luis said that during a recent walk with Zeus, someone rode up to Billini and said to her, “You’re going to die.”
Because it was night, she could not identify the intimidator.
Janet Santana, a friend of Bellini’s, said Harvin had been joining her on walks for the past two or three weeks, acting as a kind of bodyguard. “He was like family to her,” she said.
During the attack, Billini’s relatives tried to push the door closed, while the neighbor kicked it and swung a hammer through the hole when it became large enough.
As Moore threw his full weight against the door, it hit Billini’s arm so hard that it broke, according to court documents.
Billini was an analyst for the state court system in the Bronx. Her cousin says she was close to retirement after almost 30 years.
“It is impossible for someone who has served our country for 25 years to be treated this way,” Luis said.
‘A woman who was about to retire should not have to live like this, but have to constantly look over her shoulder. It is ridiculous.’
Friends said Billini was with Harvin the night of their murders because she was terrified of Moore.
Joseph Cuthbert told it ABC-7 that Moore stabbed Zeus, the dog he ultimately shot, last winter.
‘When I came, the dog was lying on the floor. I had to wrap the dog in a sheet and pick the dog up,” Cuthbert said.
Months later, Moore attacked Billini with the hammer.
Billini’s daughters Nathalie and Iliana wrote a moving memorial on a GoFundMe page, seeking donations for funeral costs.
They described her as someone with “a heart of gold” who “touched the lives of everyone she encountered.”
“Jackie was always there for her friends and family, providing unwavering support and love,” they wrote.
“Her sudden departure has left a void in our family and community that can never be filled.”
Al Baker, the spokesman for the state Office of Court Administration, supported the judge’s decision to require low bail after Moore was charged with assault and burglary.
He noted that bail is only required to ensure a suspect returns to court for future proceedings, which Moore did.
“The criminal judge followed the law in determining the defendant’s release status,” Baker said in a statement.
“The criminal court judges in this case have weighed everything up to set bail and make the best possible decisions in the interests of justice.”
Moore will be arraigned in Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday.