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'I don't want to believe it's real' | Sister of murdered Hyattsville DJ speaks

Sabrina Rivera had spoken with her sister hours before she was fatally shot right outside of her apartment

HYATTSVILLE, Md. — 27-year-old Salina Rivera was shot to death outside of her Hyattsville apartment Tuesday night. 

Police arrested and charged 21-year-old Alexander Maskiewicz for her murder on March 15 and arrested 26-year-old Shelton Holt III on Friday. Both were charged with first degree murder.

RELATED: Second man arrested, charged with murder in fatal shooting of Hyattsville DJ

Salina's younger sister, 22-year-old Sabrina Rivera, says her family feels shattered.

“I still don’t want to believe it’s a real thing. I wanted it to be a nightmare," she said via Skype from a relative's house in Philadelphia Saturday.

RELATED: Man arrested for fatally shooting woman in drug deal gone bad, police say

Unfortunately, that nightmare has become Sabrina's new reality since police say an illegal drug transaction turned deadly.

Sabrina says she has no knowledge of said transaction.

Sabrina says she had just spoken to her sister on the phone hours before she lost her life.

“She told me she loved me and she was proud of me and we had a nice conversation for three or four minutes, and it was cut off. I texted her we got disconnected, and I didn’t think anything of it. Until about 10:30 at night that we got the news…that she was gone," she said.

Credit: Sabrina Rivera

She says that her family counted on her sister to bind them together ever since her father died when Sabrina was six-years-old.

Now, she and her three-year-old daughter Ariel are all her mother has left.

Credit: Sabrina Rivera

"It’s not real. I’ve never lived a life without my sister… My mom is broken. I’m just here for my mom. She doesn’t sleep or eat, and she’s-- that was her firstborn. Everyone loved Salina…she could light up a room. She was always into music from a young age," said Sabrina.

That passion for music turned into a career as a DJ that allowed Salina, or DJ Salamander as she was known on stage, to perform everywhere from the DC zoo to nightclubs, bars, and the Echo Stage.

Sabrina says her sister was also known for standing up for LGBT rights after coming out to her family at age 13.

“She was my mentor, and I will always have her voice in the back of my head telling me what to do: Just find what sparks joy, and always take care of our mom," said Sabrina.

She says all she, her family, and friends can do is live for Salina.

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