A mom of one died while celebrating her 35th birthday in an illegal club in New York City on July 31, and her family is desperate to know how it happened. Stephanie Quinones was partying at an after-hours spot in Astoria, Queens, when she reportedly collapsed on the dance floor. The woman's family claims no one tried to help her.
Disturbing video of the night Quinones died reportedly shows the mother being dragged unconscious across the floor and to the back room of the club, where she died. Some say no one called 911 because the club operated without a liquor license and feared what would happen if police arrived. Because no one reached out for help, a 12-year-old girl will grow up without her mother.
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Witnesses reportedly tried to wake up Quinones.
According to a video reviewed by the New York Post, a man slapped Quinones on the face as he seemingly tried to revive her. A bartender at the unnamed club on 49th Street texted Quinones' mother in Florida and messaged her sister, Jasmine Gonzalez, in Queens, telling her, "Come get your drunk sister," Gonzalez told the Post. The sister had no idea how grave the situation was.
Gonzalez arrived at the club two hours later.
She told the Post that club employees called 911 when she arrived and allegedly locked her inside the building. Gonzalez quickly realized her sister was dead.
"I was doing compressions on a dead person," Gonzalez said. "Everyone left me alone. No one even had the decency to stay."
She told the news outlet she went outside to hail an ambulance, but when she got back to the building, the door was locked.
"They all left because they did not want to be the one there when the cops got called," she said.
Video of the incident began circulating on social media.
Gonzalez and family friend and activist Talea Wufka told the Post they saw a video on social media of Quinones lying on the floor.
"These Instagrammers are circulating all this s—," Wufka said. "They're all taking video, so they do everything but call 911."
Gonzalez added she believes her sister was already dead when the video was shot. "She didn't have any reaction at all [in the video]," she said. "Usually people have a reaction."
The club has caused trouble in the neighborhood for some time.
A nearby business owner told the Post that the club initially claimed it was an insurance company but soon began throwing wild parties. The club moved in during the pandemic and has wreaked havoc ever since. The business owner asked not to be identified for fear of retribution.
"If it's an illegal establishment, this is the end result," Wufka said. "They didn't want police, they didn't want an ambulance, because they didn't want their illegal activities to be exposed."
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Quinones' family wants justice.
A cause of death has not been determined, but Quinones' family wants answers. Gonzalez asked for help on a GoFundMe page set up to help with final expenses. It raised more than $24,000 before it was disabled. "We are devastated. Please, if anyone knows anything about this place reach out to me directly," the page read. "We desperately need answers. We don't know who owns it or promotes it. Any information will help."
Quinones' aunt, Michelle Torres-Gonzalez, posted this tribute July 31 to her niece on Facebook:
"During this challenging period, our family would greatly appreciate your prayers. Today has been a deeply sorrowful day for my family and me. We lost my niece Stephanie on her birthday, and my brother Anthony is going through immense pain. Stephanie was always kind and humble, touching everyone's heart with her smile. Her departure feels so unjust, and we will cherish the memories of her forever. Rest in peace, Stephanie. You will be dearly missed.
