The 80-year-old man shot point-blank in the head and killed on a Bronx street by a bike-pedaling gunman who'd apparently been lying in wait for him was “unproblematic” and "adored by all family and friends," his daughter told The Post on Monday.
Geraldine Valerio said the family was "in agony" over the shocking, caught-on-camera slaying of her father, Marcelino Valerio, who was gunned down at about 1:10 a.m. Sunday after attending a Sweet 16 celebration with his wife, according to police.
"My father was a healthy, strong 80-year-old adored by all family and friends," she said in a statement.
"He was retired but was always a hardworking family man. If he wasn't working he was the family's handyman even as a retiree and he always enjoyed helping," she added, noting her dad "never went out late at night, especially alone."
Horrifying surveillance video captured Valerio's killer - dressed in black from head to toe with a ski mask covering his face - riding up next to him on the sidewalk and shooting him twice, including point-blank in the head.
The slain man and his wife, Luz Collado, 66, had just been dropped off in front of 1209 Ogden Ave. in Highbridge when the gunman - who appeared to have been awaiting their arrival - launched the attack, according to the video.
Police have not identified a suspect or a motive for the killing, but the victim's daughter said he wasn't known to make enemies.
"Everyone that knows him will say he was unproblematic, calm, generous, and righteous," Geraldine said in the statement. "We have faith justice will be served for my father and that God is with us."
His other daughter, Geraldine, 33, told reporters Monday she had no idea who would want her dad dead.
"I don't know why he [the gunman] would do this," she said. "I just hope he can come forward and show himself.
This was not for my father, he did not deserve this at all," she continued. "I have no idea, there wouldn't be anyone in the world who would want to do this to my father."
Valerio, who is originally from the Dominican Republic, lived with his family in the Bronx for over a decade but "never had any concerns" about their neighborhood, Geraldine said, adding her dad was protective of her, her daughter and his wife as the "only man in the house."
"He was always so happy, and caring. He loved to talk and get to know people. And that's just who he was," she said.
"He was not scared, no. We knew everyone from the pharmacy to the supermarket, a couple of neighbors here and there ... We never had any concerns about being here," Geraldine said.
All her father wanted was for them to "just live, be kind and, just be in peace," she added.
Valerio was returning from a Sweet 16 party in New Rochelle in Westchester County when he was ambushed, law enforcement sources said.
His family said he enjoyed himself at the party Sunday night, eating desserts and other foods and taking photos with relatives even though he was typically a homebody who would skip such celebrations.
"He really didn't like leaving the house. He was a homebody. My mother would go to family events and he would stay. I was surprised he went to this one," his stepson Alex Rodriguez, 43, told The Post.
Rodriguez, whose mother married Valero when he was 8 months old, said his stepdad "never had an issue with nobody."
Footage of the terrifying attack showed Valerio's wife staggering in shock after the shooting, as two hysterical women rushed out of the idling car and desperately signaled around for help.
Speaking to reporters in Spanish on Monday, Collado described how her husband of over 30 years was suddenly attacked.
"I feel very bad. I feel very sad and it was very harsh. I was right there and it happened so fast," she said, according to her daughter, who translated.
Moments earlier, the shooter had been riding past the building in the other direction, before circling back again when the car Valerio was in pulled up, the video shows.
The gunman fled on his bike after the shooting and was still at large Monday.
The building superintendent at a previous address for Valerio called the victim "hard-working, calm."
"He wasn't out in the streets, he was a homebody," said the worker, Rafel De Leon.
"No problems ever arose with him. He was a marvelous person," De Leon added.
themes: Shooting
Harrowing surveillance footage captures street execution of 80-year-old NYC man by bike-pedaling gunman
Shocking surveillance video captures a “marvelous” 80-year-old man being executed on a Bronx street Sunday by a bike-pedaling gunman clad like a ninja - as the victim's wife watches in horror.
Marcelino Valerio and his spouse had just arrived home from a Sweet 16 party and gotten out of the car dropping them off when the elderly man was shot dead in front of 1209 Ogden Ave. in Highbridge around 1:10 a.m., according to police sources and the chilling footage obtained by The Post.
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Police have yet to reveal a motive for the horror, which occurred after Valerio and his wife returned home from the joyful party in New Rochelle in Westchester County, law-enforcement sources said.
..... He was a marvelous person," added De Leon of Valerio - who police sources said only had one prior arrest, for DWI back in 1993.
Family demands justice after bike-pedaling gunman executes elderly man on NYC street
In a shocking and horrifying incident in the Bronx, an 80-year-old man named Marcelino Valerio was shot and killed by a bike-pedaling gunman who had apparently been lying in wait for him. Valerio's daughter, Geraldine Valerio, described her father as “unproblematic” and "adored by all family and friends." She expressed the family's agony over the incident and emphasized that her father was a healthy and strong individual who was always dedicated to his family.
The incident occurred at around 1:10 a.m. on Sunday, just after Valerio and his wife, Luz Collado, had returned home from attending a Sweet 16 celebration. ..... The footage also showed Collado, in shock and disbelief, as two women rushed out of a nearby car and desperately sought help.
The motive for the killing remains unknown, and police have not yet identified a suspect. However, Geraldine Valerio asserted that her father did not have any enemies and was known for his calm and generous nature. She expressed her hope that the perpetrator would come forward and face justice for his brutal act.
Geraldine also mentioned that her father, originally from the Dominican Republic, had lived in the Bronx for over a decade and had never expressed concerns about their neighborhood's safety. Valerio was considered the "only man in the house" and was protective of his family. Despite being a homebody, he had attended the Sweet 16 celebration and enjoyed himself, a surprising departure from his usual preference for staying at home.
The attack took place shortly after Valerio and his wife had arrived home. The surveillance footage revealed that the shooter had been waiting for Valerio's arrival, riding past the building before circling back when the car dropped them off. After the shooting, the gunman fled on his bike and has still not been apprehended.
Those who knew Valerio spoke highly of him. A building superintendent from his previous address described him as hard-working and calm, emphasizing that no problems had ever arisen with him. Another worker referred to Valerio as a "marvelous person," highlighting his positive character traits.
The community and Valerio's family are left devastated by this senseless act of violence. They hope that justice will be served and that they can find peace in the memory of a man who was adored by all who knew him.