Scarborough double-murder victim had just met intended target: police

Two cliches come to mind after learning the details of Cynthia Mullapudi’s untimely death in a double homicide last Friday at a Scarborough parking lot: ‘Wrong place at the wrong time,’ and ‘every parent’s worst nightmare.’

Police say Mullapudi, 24, and a friend had just met two men that night and were invited to join them at a house party.

One of those men, Joseph Anzolona, 26, of Toronto, would soon be the intended target of a brazen execution.

Mullapudi just happened to be sitting beside him in the backseat of a vehicle that was riddled with bullets just before 10 p.m.

Both died in hospital shortly after.

At a news conference on Friday morning, Det. Sgt. Gary Giroux called Mullapudi an “innocent victim” who lived at home with her parents in Markham and held a full time job.

“They picked her up to attend a party and within an hour or so of being picked up she was deceased,” Giroux said.

The ill-fated evening culminated when the newly-acquainted foursome stopped to make a purchase at the LCBO at Parkway Plaza, at Ellesmere Road and Victoria Park Avenue.

As they were about to drive off, a lone gunman wielding a semi-automatic pistol opened the back door and fired numerous shots into the backseat where both Anzolona and Mullapudi were seated.

Giroux said Mullapudi was shot “based on her proximity to the targeted male…”

While emergency crews desperately tried to save the gravely-wounded duo, Mullapudi’s parents were nervously watching the clock.

“We had to knock on their door and tell them that their daughter isn’t coming home,” Giroux relayed through pursed lips.

“They (said) they were concerned that she was late and they were waiting up for her.”

“They picked her up to attend a party and within an hour or so of being picked up she was deceased,” Giroux said.

Car connection

On Sunday, members of the gun and gang task force arrested a suspect in the double-fatal shooting.

Harris Nnane, 24, of Toronto, is facing two counts of first-degree murder.

Through witness accounts, police say the suspect fled the scene in a silver 2006 Ford Fusion with the licence plate: BYYW 755.

The vehicle is registered to a 24-year-old woman named Julianna Televski who Giroux says “has a connection to the accused in this case,” although he stopped short of calling her a suspect.

“Can I say for certain that Televski was not present at the scene? I can’t,” Giroux admitted, adding that he’s only been in touch with Televski through her lawyer and family.

Giroux said investigators are trying to track down her vehicle, noting it has “huge significant investigative value.”

“I don’t know her whereabouts,” he added. “I’m dealing with her family and her lawyer at this current time.”

“We would like to recover that car as quickly as possible.”

Help from the community

While police are often stone-walled by apprehensive witnesses during homicide probes, Giroux says public cooperation has greatly aided police during this investigation.

Citizens photographed the suspect vehicle as it sped away, and one witness was credited with providing police a key piece of evidence.

“He repeated the car’s licence plate to himself over and over again until he had an opportunity to record it in his cellphone,” Giroux said.

“The homicide squad are extremely grateful to all the citizens that remained on scene and cooperated with this investigation.”