‘Ex-boyfriend’ is arrested two days after young New York mother was shot dead at point-blank range while pushing her infant in a stroller through Manhattan’s Upper East Side

Azsia Johnson, 20, was shot and killed on Wednesday night as she pushed her three-month-old baby girl in a stroller near a park full of children playing

The masked gunman shot Johnson in the head and then fled; the baby was unharmed in the attack

The infant’s father who had been identified as a person of interest on Friday, was taken in for questioning at the 19th precinct. ,

Isaac Argro, 24, was arraigned Saturday on charges of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon

Argro allegedly, persuaded Johnson to “meet up with him under the guise that he wanted to give the decedent items for their 3-month-old daughter”

The victim’s mother Lisa Desort said she had repeatedly called the police to report domestic violence, while pregnant but cops neither responded nor acted to protect her

Eventually Johnson daughter moved into a shelter for victims of domestic abuse in East Harlem, near the spot where she was killed

On Thursday night a vigil was held for her, and Johnson’s mother blamed the slow response to multiple domestic violence complaints she filed her child’s father

The father of a three-month-old baby has been arrested by police in New York, after the child’s mother was shot point-blank while pushing their daughter in a stroller on the Upper East Side. 
The man accused of killing a young mother Wednesday as she pushed her 3-month-old baby in a stroller on New York’s Upper East Side was remanded without bail Saturday in what prosecutors called a “premeditated execution,” according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Isaac Argro, 24, was arraigned Saturday on charges of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to court documents.
Azsia Johnson, a 20-year-old mother of two, was shot in the head at 8:30pm on Wednesday.
On Thursday night, at a vigil, Johnson’s mother said she had repeatedly called the police to report domestic violence, and her daughter moved into a shelter for victims of domestic abuse in East Harlem, near where she was killed. She pointed the finger at her daughter’s ex. 

The infant’s 24-year-old father who had been identified as a person of interest on Friday, was taken in for questioning at the 19th precinct. ,
The court hearing came days after the The court hearing came days after the shocking killing of 20-year-old Azsia Johnson, who, who was shot in the head at point-blank range near the intersection of East 95th Street and Lexington Avenue on Wednesday night, authorities said. The suspect, wearing all black and a ski mask, then fled on foot, police said. The 3-month-old child was not harmed.
Argro was arrested and charged with the killing Friday. In a statement prosecutors read in court Saturday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office described the attack as a “premeditated execution” and offered further disturbing details about the case.
Johnson’s three-year-old child, from a previous relationship, was not with her at the time.
Investigators recovered surveillance camera video and other footage from in and around the crime scene – but NYPD officials told CBS News that the cameras facing the spot ‘were not immediately accessible’. The sources told CBS they had already recovered video showing the gunman pacing in front of a residence right before the shooting.
A single shot was fired at her head before the gunman ran off, eastbound along East 95th Street. Investigators recovered a single shell casing at the scene.

Before the killing, Argro persuaded Johnson to “meet up with him under the guise that he wanted to give the decedent items for their 3-month-old daughter,” prosecutors said.
“The defendant arrived with no such items, dressed all in black with a ski mask over his face, an outfit that indicated that he planned ahead and attempted to obstruct his face and conceal his identity,” the prosecutor’s office said. “Video of the defendant before the homicide shows him pacing prior to the decedent’s arrival. The defendant shot the mother of his child at point-blank range in the head, leaving his crying 3-month-old in the stroller, as he ran away.”
CNN reached out to Argro’s attorney on Sunday and did not receive an immediate response. He is next due to appear in court this Thursday, July 7.
The brazen killing, in an upscale neighborhood known for its wealthy residents, came amid heightened concerns of gun violence in New York City as well as a string of high-profile shootings nationally.
The precinct is one of the most densely populated residential areas in Manhattan, and includes the mayor’s residence, Gracie Mansion.
It also encompasses a stretch of Madison Avenue with some of the city’s most upscale shopping options. However, NYPD data shows that crime is on the rise in the 19th Precinct, as it is across the city.
The arrest of the child’s father came hours after distraught family and friends of Johnson mourned her loss at a vigil held on Thursday night, where Johnson’s mother accused authorities of ignoring her repeated complaints of domestic violence.
The vigil was held at the playground near where Johnson was shot in the head.

Johnson’s mother Lisa Desort, who has said she believes an abusive ex-boyfriend is the killer, was visibly emotional as she said that her daughter’s death could have been prevented.
‘We called every day to the domestic violence [unit]. You know what they told me, it’s not harassment if he makes a threat,’ the weeping mother said. 
‘Now, my daughter is dead. She’s dead! A 20-year-old female with a credit score of 800.’
Desort told CBS that her message to the baby’s father was: ‘I treated you like a son. I welcomed you into my home. I spoke to you and calmed you down when you were upset. I fed you. 
‘Your baby girl does not, and no longer, will have a father or mother.’ 
At the vigil, Desort was seen in quiet conversation with Mayor Eric Adams, who later stood beside her and offered condolences in brief remarks to the crowd. 
Johnson was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn – the same tough neighborhood where Adams was born – and lived in Jamaica, Queens.
The vigil concluded with a balloon release, as those gathered were heard sobbing as they said, ‘we love you, Azsia.’ 

Earlier, Desort alleged her daughter was assaulted by her 22-year-old ex-boyfriend about six months ago, despite being six months pregnant with his child.
She accused the man – who has not been named – of ‘stalking’ and ‘harassing’ her girl after the incident and said they had pleaded with cops to intervene.
But Desort claimed he was never arrested and slammed officers for ‘failing to protect her’ daughter. Johnson was the victim of the horrific attack that saw a hooded man in black clothing shoot her in the back of the head from point-blank range at 8.23pm on Wednesday
She had reportedly texted her family to tell them she was planning to meet her ex-boyfriend before she was murdered on the sidewalk. The little girl was unharmed.
In an interview with The New York Post on Thursday Desort blamed police for their non-response: ‘We called the precinct numerous times to tell the [domestic violence] unit that he was stalking and harassing her.
‘Even [though] they knew what apartment he lived in, they failed to apprehend and arrest him,’ the mom continued. The city failed to protect my daughter.’
She further slammed the NYPD speaking with Fox News: stating that, ‘All that anyone needs to know in this city is we called numerous times for her protection. No one protected my daughter, and now she’s dead.’

Desort said her daughter had taken her baby daughter to the park when the shooting happened. She had been using a tracking app to keep tabs on Johnson and became concerned when it showed she was in the hospital. 
Desort said she tried to call, but there was no answer.
Police then showed up at her door with the news. 
‘I fell to the ground,’ she said.

The New York Daily News reports that the young mother had texted relatives saying she was planning to meet up with her child’s father the night she was killed, so they could talk things out.
She had reportedly been assaulted by him while pregnant and wasn’t sure if she wanted him in her life. 
‘It appears she was targeted, not a stray bullet,’ a police source said of the shooting.
‘Close contact wound to the head. She had powder burns on her head, to show you how close he was.’ 
It’s not clear if recent alleged assaults were reported to the police, but the victim’s mother claims they called for help ‘numerous’ times.
‘He threatened me with death, my daughter with death, and my other daughter with death,’ Desort said. ‘We called the precinct numerous times.’ 
Desort said her daughter had everything going for her.
‘She had been working since she was 16, and she took care of people. She was the best mother,’ she said through tears.
‘My daughter did not deserve this,’ Desort said.

The Manhattan neighborhood where Johnson was killed is among the most affluent in New York, with average house prices at $1.5million and private school fees exceeding $58,000 per year.
Horrified children at the nearby playground witnessed the shooting, and one girl described hearing a loud ‘boom’ that she quickly realized was a gunshot.
Mayor Eric Adams blamed the shooting on the ‘over-proliferation of guns’ and said that criminals have ‘no fear in using these guns on innocent New Yorkers.’
The shooting comes four days after President Joe Biden signed into law a legislation that marks some of the biggest changes to federal gun law in decades.