(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Two squatters allegedly murdered a homeowner who discovered them living inside her upscale New York City apartment upon returning from months abroad, the NYPD announced on Thursday.
Nadia Vitels’s body was discovered on March 14, stuffed inside a duffel bag, showing visible signs of blunt force trauma, police said.
According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Vitels sustained blunt force trauma to the head, facial fractures and two broken ribs.
Vitels had recently returned to the U.S. after a stint in Spain. Upon her arrival at her apartment, previously owned by her late mother, she reportedly made the grim discovery: a man and a woman had taken over the residence.
“We believe that some squatters took the apartment over and this woman came home … and walked in on the squatters that were there,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
Vitels’s 19-year-old son, Michael Medvedev, found her body after growing concerned when he hadn’t heard from her for two days.
“As they’re getting ready to leave, the son opens up the closet door near the front door and discovers the duffel bag with a foot sticking out,” Kenny said, describing the gruesome discovery.
The death of Nadia Vitel, 52, at 206 East 31st Street in Kips Bay, has officially been ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma to the head.
The superintendent recalls helping family members enter the apartment, after they couldn’t reach her.
They discovered signs of a struggle… pic.twitter.com/jGMPQtIavH
— Crime In NYC (@CrimeInNYC) March 16, 2024
Video footage depicted two law enforcement officials transporting Vitel’s body in a body bag atop a stretcher.
The NYPD mentioned that these individuals were captured on security footage and are currently being pursued.
The alleged culprits fled the apartment in the murdered woman’s Lexus SUV, crossing the George Washington Bridge from New York, ultimately making their way to New Jersey and then Pennsylvania.
The individuals reportedly crashed the SUV in Lower Paxton Township, Pennsylvania. Local law enforcement in the area alerted New York authorities a day later.
The duo purportedly attempted to purchase a vehicle for $1,000 in Pennsylvania.
ABC 7 reported that the apartment lacks a front door and access is via an elevator, typical of higher-end apartments.
