A person arrested for allegedly murdering a 74-year-old girl discovered together with her fingers and ft certain on the ground of her Higher West Aspect condominium this week could have labored in the identical constructing the place she was found.
Officers introduced Saturday the arrest of Lashawn Mackey, a 47-year-old now going through expenses of homicide, tried homicide and housebreaking. Any potential motive in the case, or particulars about what led as much as the killing, are nonetheless unknown.
Maria Hernandez was found late Wednesday by a sister who additionally lives on the West 83rd Street condominium constructing. Maria Terrero discovered her sister certain and gagged inside her ransacked condominium.
“Wow, I’m still in shock. I can’t believe it. It’s the most terrifying moment of my life,” Terrero mentioned.
Terrero had gone upstairs to examine on her sister after Hernandez’s daughter referred to as to say she had not heard from her mom.
Police and EMS responded round 10 p.m. and located Hernandez face down on the bed room flooring with garments piled on prime of her, officers instructed Information 4. Her accidents included fractures and exterior bruising throughout her physique.
“I find her in the bedroom on the floor, her body covered with all this stuff, I almost can’t see her. It’s terrible, it’s traumatizing, it’s unbelievable,” mentioned Terrero.
The medical expert will decide her trigger of dying.
Murder detectives trying into Hernandez’s dying confronted a perplexy impediment: the constructing’s surveillance system had been ripped out from the basement. Investigators started an prolonged video cancass of ring cameras and different exterior cameras in the rapid space hoping to get a glimpse of the intruder.
Hernandez was a mom and grandmother recognized in the neighborhood for taking walks together with her sister and one other pal.
“I think I’m living a very bad dream right now. That’s the only thing I can say. I trust the authorities, I know they’re working very hard. I believe they’ll get the justice for her,” Terrero mentioned.