Queens Domestic Violence Shelter Worker Allegedly Shot Dead By Ex-Con Fiancé Now On The Lam, Cops Say

A Queens domestic violence shelter worker was fatally shot in the head inside a St. Albans residence, according to police and family members.

Angelique Apostol, 38, worked at an upstate domestic violence shelter and divided her time between Queens, Staten Island and upstate New York.

Her partner, 55-year-old Mark Washington, allegedly shot her in the head before abandoning her body inside the residence, cops and kin said.

The ex-con fiancé remained on the run nearly three months after the deadly shooting, according to police.

Apostol was last seen alive on June 10, according to her 37-year-old sister, Melanie Apostol.

The couple had planned to attend Game 4 of the Knicks’ playoff run at Madison Square Garden that evening, Melanie said. The pair never arrived at the arena, according to her sister.

Earlier that day, Apostol and Washington attended a charity event together, Melanie said.

A neighbor’s security camera captured the couple returning to the St. Albans residence together that afternoon, Melanie said. But the video then showed Washington departing the location alone shortly after their arrival, according to her sister.

“They were seen on the Ring camera from neighbors returning together, and then him leaving the residence, maybe like a half-an-hour, 45 minutes later without her and his belongings,” the grieving sister said.

Apostol was never seen alive again after that afternoon, police said. Exactly two weeks later, officers entered the residence and discovered Apostol dead inside, according to cops and kin.

Her body was badly decomposed by the time investigators arrived at the scene, cops and sources said.

The decomposition was so severe that responding officers could not initially spot the gunshot wound to her head, according to police.

Investigators contacted Melanie to assist in confirming the identity of the remains, her sister said.

Melanie knew the victim was her sister when “[cops] showed me tattoos on her body, which were my children’s names,” she said.

The physical condition of the remains prevented the family from holding an open-casket service, according to Melanie.

“I know he discarded her and he shot her in the face, which was intentional because we couldn’t even say goodbye to her,” Melanie said.

“We couldn’t have an open casket, and he left her there like roadkill. So I’m asking… if anybody can help or locate this person or their whereabouts, any type of information, please, I’m begging,” Melanie said.

The couple was engaged to be married, according to kin.

They had publicly announced their engagement in a video shared to their TikTok account, according to her sister.

Melanie said she never expected the relationship between her sister and Washington to become violent. “That was her fiancé, and that’s all I really knew about her relationship,” Melanie said.

“We thought everything was, you know, fine because they posted so many TikToks together. They were always with each other,” Melanie said.

Melanie said her sister placed complete trust in Washington and loved him.

“She trusted him and she did love him, and she would have never suspected that he would have done anything like this. Because if she would, she would have left him,” Melanie said.

The victim dedicated much of her life to helping family members, kin said.

Apostol frequently helped look after her sister’s four children, aged 17, 14, 11 and 5, Melanie said.

The two youngest children are on the autism spectrum, according to Melanie.

Apostol enrolled in home health aide classes to assist with her sister’s two special needs children, Melanie said. She did not have to take the training, but chose to do so for her family, according to Melanie.

“She didn’t have any children on her own. She took care of everyone’s children,” Melanie said.

Apostol also volunteered to help those in need across the city, her family said.

Last winter, she distributed soup to the homeless at the Staten Island Ferry terminal, according to Melanie.

Her professional career was focused on supporting victims of domestic violence, her sister said.

“She worked in a domestic violence shelter — which is the ironic part about it — in upstate New York,” Melanie said.

Apostol “was passionate about helping people,” her sister said.

The summer months following the homicide have been devastating for the surviving relatives as they await an arrest, Melanie said. The family has been left in a standstill while awaiting closure in the case, according to her sister.

Washington has a criminal record that includes 11 prior arrests, police said.

His arrest history includes an attempted murder charge in connection with a Feb. 19, 2002 shooting in Queens that injured a 41-year-old man, cops said. The court disposition of that case was not immediately clear, police said.

State records show Washington was also previously convicted of first-degree reckless endangerment.

He served more than two years in state prison on that conviction, from September 2019 through February 2022, according to State Corrections records.

The NYPD released photos of Washington to the public to assist in the search, police said.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish, police said.

Tips can also be submitted online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X @NYPDTips, according to police.