August 20, 2025 MOUNT VERNON, NY – In the early hours of a Sunday morning, a rising star of New York's nightlife scene was found dead in her car, the victim of a targeted shooting. The shocking murder of Ariela Mejia-Polanco, a social media influencer known to her hundreds of thousands of followers as Ariela Lalangosta, has sent ripples of grief and confusion through her community.
The 33-year-old mother of two was discovered just after 8 a.m. on the shoulder of the Cross County Parkway, her vehicle riddled with bullets. Mejia-Polanco, who had worked her way up to over 550,000 followers on Instagram, had reportedly just finished her shift at the popular Ikon New York lounge around 4:30 a.m. Her sudden, violent death has devastated her family and the many people who knew her vibrant personality.
A Community in Mourning
Ariela Lalangosta's influence went far beyond the digital world. Her death prompted an outpouring of tributes from friends, colleagues, and even celebrities. Rap superstar Cardi B posted a simple, poignant message: "RIP Dominican Pretty."
Both Ikon New York and Opus Lounge, where Mejia-Polanco also worked, shared heartfelt messages on social media, mourning the loss of a beloved figure. Ikon New York described her as someone whose "joy, humility, and the way you treated everyone with so much care always made you stand out," while Opus Lounge declared that "nightlife has lost an angel."
A Targeted Killing?
While the motive remains a mystery, police are treating the case as a targeted killing, a chilling indication that this was no random act of violence. Investigators are now tasked with the difficult challenge of piecing together who would want the popular influencer dead and why.
