A Yonkers man has been charged with murder in connection with stabbing a 68-year-old woman to death in her apartment. He left her body on the floor for days.
Police say 21-year-old Deshawn Nunez has admitted to knowing the victim, Renee Spencer, and killing her. The parties have not disclosed the nature of their relationship.
“This heinous crime committed by a defenseless elderly woman is horrific and unimaginable,” Yonkers Police Chief Chris Sapienza said.
Police mobilized to St. Casimir’s apartment at 289 Nepperhan Ave. on Thursday afternoon after the victim’s family called building management for a medical examination. That’s when the police found Spencer’s body.
“I saw the police, but they didn’t see anything. Somebody said someone was dead.”
Surveillance cameras show Nunez and Spencer entering a senior housing complex together on Tuesday night — two days before her body was found, according to police.
Police say they saw Nunez walking alone 90 minutes later.
Police arrested Nunez on Wednesday about two miles away. He was detained for violating multiple valid warrants and a protective stay-at-home order. These charges include criminal possession of a weapon for incidents unrelated to robbery, assault, aggravated harassment, criminal mischief, and fatal stabbing.
Police said Spencer’s body was found about 48 hours after he was murdered on the floor of his apartment surrounded by blood splatters and multiple stab wounds to his abdomen. There was no one in the apartment at that time. A knife was recovered from the scene.
“It was strange because she had just moved here two weeks ago…because…nothing like that happened here.
Detectives believe Nunez killed Spencer in retaliation for a past incident that supposedly involved the victim’s relatives, but the case is still under investigation.
Nunez is being held at the Westchester County Jail.