NEED TO KNOW

  • Influencer Ariela “La Langosta” was found dead in her car on Sunday, Aug. 17, the Westchester County Police Department said in a statement
  • Mejia-Polanco was known on Instagram for sharing content about fashion and modeling to her over 556,000 followers
  • In a previous statement to PEOPLE, Ikon New York, a Manhattan restaurant and lounge, confirmed that Mejia-Polanco was an employee at the establishment and had been “at work” the night before her death

Police have shared new details about the death of Dominican influencer Ariela “La Langosta.”

The content creator — whose real name was Ariela Mejia-Polanco — died as a result of gunshot wounds on Sunday, Aug. 17, the Westchester County Police Department announced in a statement shared on Facebook. She was 33.

According to police, Mejia-Polanco was found dead behind the wheel of her vehicle at about 8 a.m. on Sunday morning on the eastbound Cross County Parkway near the Broad Street exit in Mount Vernon in what appeared to be a “targeted” attack.

“Her death was not a random act,” the statement continued.

Mejia-Polanco’s death is currently under investigation by detectives from the General Investigations Unit, per police.

In a previous statement to PEOPLE, Ikon New York, a Manhattan restaurant and lounge, confirmed that Mejia-Polanco was an employee at the establishment and had been “at work” the night before her death.

Following the news of Mejia-Polanco’s death, rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine — with whom she maintained a public friendship — posted a tribute to the late influencer, writing in Spanish that she would be remembered as the “queen of New York.”

“NY won’t ever be the same,” the rapper added. “I loved you.”

Several nightclubs also shared tributes to Mejia-Polanco in the days after her death was made public.

Ariela ‘La Langosta’.

Ariiela Lalangosta/Instagram

“Your joy, your humility, and the way you treated everyone with so much care always made you stand out,” wrote Ikon New York in a post on Instagram on Aug. 17. “Thank you for giving so much love and support to our home, which also became yours. To Ariela’s family, we are here for anything you need.”

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In another post, the restaurant shared that it would remain closed until Thursday, Aug. 21, “out of respect for one of our beloved team members who recently passed away.”

“She was a brilliant, humble soul with incredible energy — the kind of person who could light up any room she entered. She will be deeply missed by all of us,” the restaurant continued. “Please take a moment to cherish and love your own loved ones. Life is precious.”

Ariela ‘La Langosta’.

Ariiela Lalangosta/Instagram

Starlets of New York, a nightclub in Queens, remembered Mejia-Polanco as “a beautiful friend, loving mother, and daughter whose smile and energy lit up every room she entered” in a post on Instagram.

“Her energy will forever be missed, but her spirit will always live on with us,” the post continued.