Nearly a hundred Pearl River community members gathered in front of Ichiban Tuesday night, March 10, to remember Anne Tso, the daughter of local restaurant owners who was killed in February.
Tso, 27, a Pearl River native and daughter of Ichiban Restaurant owners Andy and Sandy Tso, was found dead in a Philadelphia apartment in an apparent homicide Feb. 27.
Pearl River residents young and old gathered in front of Ichiban to pay their respects, many embracing parents Andy and Sandy Tso, who were visibly distraught.
Philadelphia Police said in a statement to The Journal News that Tso was found dead inside her Philadelphia apartment. Her roommate, Gabriela Flora-Duncan, 30, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime.
Tso’s killing believed to be premeditated
Tso’s aunt, Kristy Tso, stood up in front of the crowd at the beginning of the vigil and explained the story behind Anne’s death in detail.
Tso said that Flora-Duncan had asked Anne, known as Annie to family and friends, to allow her to stay in the apartment that Annie was originally living for a few extra days in November of 2025. The days turned into weeks and months, but by the time December came around, Kristy said the Tso family advised Annie to move out and find another apartment, as Flora-Duncan was not paying her share of the rent for that period of time.
“During our Christmas vacation, Annie told us that her roommate was really giving her a hard time. Something was not honest there. Annie asked her to move out and she didn’t want to,” Kristy said. “We told her to just move out herself. Even though that was Annie’s own apartment, we said ‘that’s OK, we don’t want to fight with others.'”
By January, Tso had found a new apartment and signed the lease, which became active in early February. On the afternoon of Feb. 27, Tso was doing her final checks to her empty room, when Flora-Duncan allegedly stabbed her multiple times in the back. After a stab wound punctured one of Tso’s lungs, Flora-Duncan allegedly shot her in the head.
Kristy said that neighbors could hear Tso screaming from the apartment, which allowed the police to be notified. Tso was still alive when police got to the scene but died shortly after.
When questioned by police, Kristy said Flora-Duncan claimed she had forgotten to take her medication that day, which caused her to act violently. However, the Tso family believes that Flora-Duncan had every intention of killing Tso, with evidence that Flora-Duncan had bought a gun just a few days before Tso’s move-out date.
“It was premeditated,” Kristy said. “The roommate waited until Annie was tired. That’s why justice must be served.”
Petition calls for ‘Justice for Anne Tso’
Detectives involved with the case notified the Tso family that Flora-Duncan could be looking to plead mental instability as a result of her missed medication. A plea deal could reduce the current first-degree murder charge to third-degree murder.
During the vigil, Tso’s aunts circulated a petition created by Tso’s brother Alan to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and the judges involved with the case, urging them to reject any plea deal that may come up, seek the maximum penalty permitted by law “up to and including life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or capital punishment where lawfully applicable” and to ensure a full, public trial.
“Anne was more than a case file. She was a warm, kind, and vibrant young woman whose loss has left a permanent void in our family,” Alan Tso wrote in the petition, which has received over 1,300 signatures on Change.org and over 100 more during the vigil. “The pain of her absence is felt every day; in holidays, gatherings, and quiet moments of remembrance.”
Annie remembered as ‘light of the family’
“She was my childhood hero, honestly.” said Alan Tso about his older sister. “She did everything I wanted to do. I can’t explain how much I miss her.”
Alan said he was “blown away” by the response from the Pearl River community.
“I’m so glad we could get so many people together for this vigil. I mean, every candle up there represents somebody who is thankful for her,” he said.
A heartfelt letter to Annie from brother Anthony Tso was displayed in a photo album on the memorial table outside Ichiban Tuesday night.
“I always looked up to you for everything since day one because you were the best big sister anyone could ask for,” the letter reads in part. “You will forever be in my heart and I will always love you.”
“We have great neighbors here, a great community” Kristy said. “That’s why we want justice for Annie. Not just for us, but for the community. If a severe person like this is allowed to get away with murder, it would harm everyone here.”
Community members have reached out to lawmakers for help
Several residents expressed that they wanted to see more action from local lawmakers to help bring the Tso family justice.
“Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny and Rep. Mike Lawler should be speaking out and getting involved to make sure that this person gets her just deserts,” said Joe Farsetta, a Pearl River resident. “This family has been an example of what people that immigrate to this country are all about. They assimilated, they started a business, and they worked hard. They bought a home in this town, they stayed in this town, they supported this town and helped support the community. Now it’s time for the community to support them.”
Other residents around Farsetta also called on State Senator Bill Weber to help.
“This is great, but I think the town should formally do something,” Farsetta said. “If Mike Lawler can go to every pizza cutting ceremony, he could see what he can do from the House of Representatives. He has national clout, he can do something.”
A spokesperson for Rep. Mike Lawler told The Journal News Wednesday that members of his team were present at the vigil.
“On February 27, Anne Tso, a native of Pearl River, NY, was horrifically murdered by her roommate. Anne was the daughter of the owners of Ichiban Restaurant and grew up in downtown Pearl River,” Lawler said. “She was a hardworking, caring, and extremely giving person. This brutal act of violence has devastated her family and shocked the Pearl River community that loved her.
“Her alleged murderer should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny said she was aware of the vigil and could not attend due to a previously scheduled Town Board meeting, but vowed the Orangetown Town Board would do “whatever is in our power to see that Annie and her family get justice.”
“This family has nothing but the purest hearts” said Farsetta’s wife, who declined to be named. “They’re the kindest people that would do anything for anyone. They have been a pillar of this community and such pure souls. They’re just really good people.”
Ocean Scheyd, 29, a childhood friend of Anne’s, remembered her as “smart and really funny.”
“I knew her since I was about 2 years old. I didn’t go to the same school but lived down the road from here,” Scheyd said. “My brother liked to go to the same spot all the time and we would always get food here. Eventually, I just ended up hanging out with her. I would just come to visit to hang out and talk to her.”
Scheyd said she has distinct memories of watching the Tso siblings run around town.
“I would run into them and they would run off together and run around town or I’d see them helping out their parents all the time. She was genuinely a very good person.”
Tso’s aunt Josephine called Annie the “sunshine of the family” and said she was like her own daughter.
“It will take us the rest of our lives to get over this tragedy. We are still in overwhelming grief about this loss. I just don’t know how to accept this,” Tso said.
Annie had just earned her master’s degree in bioengineering at RIT. She was employed at L3Harris Technologies, where Tso said she was about to be promoted to manager later this year. Another goal for Annie this year was getting married to her long-time boyfriend. Josephine said Annie loved kids and was excited to start a family of hew own.
“She’s the leader of our family and also the sunshine. She always brought our family together. Without her, it will be so hard to have gatherings and celebrations,” Tso said. “Losing Annie was not just losing a person in the family, we lost our unity.”
Fundraisers gather thousands of dollars for Tso family
A GoFundMe created by Tso family members to support Andy and Sandy has generated $9,647 as of March 10. Another fundraiser put together by friends of the family has generated over $13,800.
Tso’s relatives remember her as “exceptionally bright and caring.”
“She was a radiant soul whose sudden loss has left her family in profound sorrow,” family members said in the GoFundMe.
Vigil organizer Samantha Sheehan Diliberto said she and many other community members recall watching Tso grow up in the restaurant, taking orders and helping work the cash register as early as 5 years old.
“For more than 20 years, Anne and her family have been part of the heart of our community through their restaurant, Ichiban,” Diliberto wrote on Facebook. “Many of us watched Anne grow up there — from a little girl running around the restaurant to someone who became part of what made that place feel like home.”
After a moment of silence, Tso’s aunts spoke again, thanking the community for coming out and reiterating support of showing the petition to the Philadelphia District Attorney.
“We want justice for Annie. Justice must be served,” Kristy said, between tears. “The individual was charged with first-degree murder and now is trying to reduce the sentence with some medical issue. But the way she did what she did, it’s already first-degree murder and should be a life sentence.”
“We love you Annie,” her parents said, as mourners raised their candles to the sky. “Mom loves you forever.”
The Tso family is still awaiting a start date for Flora-Duncan’s trial, but said it could begin as early as Monday, March 16.
(This story was updated with new information.)
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Pearl River remembers murder victim Anne Tso at community vigil
Reporting by Alexandra Rivera, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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