A bride-to-be wearing her white wedding gown was shot to death in her New Jersey home yesterday by an ex-boyfriend who infiltrated the bridal party dressed as a guest.
Gladys Ricart’s stunned family looked on in horror as Augustine Garcia shot her several times with a .38-caliber Smith and Wesson pistol, said Bergen County Prosecutor William Schmidt.
“He was dressed to attend a wedding, dressed like a wedding guest,” Schmidt said.
“Everything was a blur,” a witness, who asked not to be identified, told The Post.
“It was just horrible what happened,” the witness said. “We could see her getting shot, and there was nothing we could do. We were helpless.”
Garcia got off his shots before he was tackled by Ricart’s brother, who held him for police, authorities said.
The mayhem took place just before Ricart was to walk out of the house to the Rolls-Royce limo that would take her to Flushing, Queens, where her fiance, James L. Preston Jr., 36, of Brooklyn, was waiting at the Church on the Hill.
Neighbors of 39-year-old Ricart- who shared her home in Ridgefield with her 20-year-old son, Davis, and her mother, Anna Rosario – were in a state of shock.
“She looked absolutely gorgeous,” said Janet Donnelly.
“It was a very pretty fitted, white-lace top. Her hair was pulled back and she had a little tiara.
“There were nine bridesmaids and three little flower girls. Her son was going to escort her down the aisle.”
Donnelly said the bride-to-be was outside and had asked the photographer if she should go back in to adjust her veil.
She and others in the wedding party went inside – and Garcia followed them in, “well-dressed, carrying a briefcase,” said Schmidt.
“He takes out a gun and he fires several shots, striking the victim several times,” the prosecutor said.
“There was screaming, confusion and chaos all around,” said the witness.
“I saw a flashing, flashes on the wall, four or five of them.
“I don’t remember seeing her or blood or seeing him or the gun,” the witness said. “All I saw was the flashing, and then everybody running.
“It was instantaneous. I don’t think if anyone had a gun, it would have done any good. It happened too fast.”
Neighbors heard the gunshots and called 911.
“I heard all these screams,” said neighbor Jackie Leathem. “The wedding party was running across the street. I heard a group of people screaming unmercifully.”
Ricart and Garcia had dated for six or seven years until they broke up about nine months ago, Schmidt said.
Garcia “was a real whack job,” said neighbor Joe Bongiovanni.
“He abused her physically. She tried to help him change until she couldn’t take it anymore.
“She broke off with him, but he was still stalking her.”
Last week, Garcia left white roses at Ricart’s home, said Bongiovanni’s wife, Jill.
“She was pretty scared about it,” Jill Bongiovanni said. “He wasn’t finished with her. He just kept stalking her.”
A neighbor who didn’t want to be identified said Ricart called police recently when Garcia tried to break into her house. “We begged her to get an order of protection, but she wouldn’t,” the neighbor said. “She shrugged it off.”
Garcia lives in nearby North Bergen. Schmidt had no information about his employment.
The bride and groom met about four months ago – ofyficials said Ricart worked with Preston at DoubleClick, Inc., a Manhattan company involved with advertising on the Internet.
“God took her because He needed an angel,” said Jill Bongiovanni.
“She was so sweet, and proud of her son. He was supposed to walk her down the aisle. Instead, he watched her die.”
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(Different version in the sports extra edition, byline Mark Stamey and Bill Sanderson; HED: EX-BEAU GUNS DOWN N.J. BRIDE ON HER WAY TO TIE KNOT)