It was a warm Saturday afternoon in Far Rockaway, the kind of summer day when families usually gather on front porches or walk down toward the breeze off the bay. But on Ocean Crest Boulevard, that peace was shattered in an instant. Selena Ponce, just 28 years old, and her mother, 56-year-old Clemer Ponce, lost their lives inside their own home in a horrific act of domestic violence. Their deaths have left a quiet neighborhood paralyzed with grief and a grieving family searching for answers that may never come.
Those who knew Selena and Clemer remember them not for how their lives ended, but for the warmth and light they brought to everyone around them. Clemer was a dedicated mother whose world revolved around her family, always putting her children first and keeping her home filled with care. Friends described Selena as bright, gentle, and full of life, someone who had so much ahead of her and brought pure joy into any room she walked into.
The tragedy unfolded around noon when a terrified family member slipped out of the house after hearing gunfire. Inside one of the bedrooms, she had made the horrifying discovery of a body lying on a bed. Shaken and fleeing for her life, she dialed 911 from outside, warning dispatchers that an armed gunman was still inside the home.
When NYPD officers pulled up to the Ocean Crest Boulevard property, they immediately set up a perimeter and called in specialized Emergency Service units. Neighbors watched from behind police tape as officers desperately tried to make contact with the gunman inside, hoping to negotiate a peaceful surrender. For several tense minutes, the street stood dead silent as police repeatedly reached out, but no response came from within the shuttered home.
Suddenly, around 12:15 p.m., a deafening explosion ripped through the residence, blowing out windows and sending thick smoke billowing into the summer sky. Moments later, as flames quickly began engulfing the structure, the suspect stepped out onto the porch wearing a tactical vest loaded with ammunition and carrying a shotgun. Officers shouted commands for him to drop the weapon, but when he refused to comply, police opened fire to stop the threat.
Once the scene was rendered safe and firefighters tackled the blaze, investigators entered the damaged home. There, they confirmed the heartbreaking reality that both Selena and Clemer Ponce had passed away. The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Kegan Thomas, was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in critical but stable condition, where he remains under heavy police guard as charges are pending.
In the days following the shooting, makeshift memorials and quiet gatherings have sprung up near the home as friends, neighbors, and relatives lean on one another for support. The loss of a devoted mother and her young daughter in such a violent manner has cut deep into the heart of the community. Though their lives were stolen far too soon, the memories of Selena and Clemer Ponce will forever be cherished by everyone who loved them.
Leave a Reply