dropped out rather than attend mandatory counseling sessions to be readmitted to school. He was unemployed and supported by his mother but obtained money by stealing coins from pay phones and vending machines. Seda was mentally and physically abusive to his teenage half-sister, Gladys "Chachi" Reyes. During a confrontation with her and her boyfriend on June 18, 1996, Seda pulled out a weapon and began threatening the couple. While Reyes' boyfriend hid in the bedroom, she tried to escape through the front door, but Seda shot her in the buttocks. Wounded but not incapacitated, she made her way to her neighbor's apartment where she called the police. After an hours-long stand-off with the police, Seda gave up his firearms and was arrested. Investigation and trial Authorities initially made no connection between Seda's arrest for the family violence incident and the string of unsolved murders. However, he closed his handwritten statement about the family incident with a symbol resembling one written on the taunting letters to the police by the unidentified killer. From there, police focused on Seda as a suspect. Despite the killer's claim that he could never be linked to the crimes due to the lack of rifling on the improvised guns, police were able to use tool-mark evidence to link Seda to the attacks. Fingerprint evidence was also found, and handwriting analysis determined a strong similarity between Seda's statement and the anonymous letters. Most damning, police found Seda's DNA on one of the stamps that had been used to mail a letter to police. Seda caused repeated disruptions in court, making outbursts and shouting at the judge. On June 24, 1998, Seda was convicted by a jury after a six-week trial presided over by the Honorable Robert J. Hanophy, Justice of the State Supreme Court for the County of Queens, New York. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Robert J. Masters and Raymond E. Scheer. The prosecution presented testimony of 45 witnesses and introduced 150 pieces of evidence. Seda was represented by court appointed attorneys David A. Bart and John S. Wallenstein. Victims Personal life In prison, Seda began a sexual affair with Synthia-China Blast, a transgender woman who is serving a sentence for a gang-related murder and the rape, torture, and murder of a child. See also List of serial killers in the United States References External links Heriberto Seda at the Crime Library 1967