What to Know
- The medical examiner's office ruled the death of a man who died after he and his wife were held hostage for 30 hours a homicide
- The couple was locked inside their Lower East Side bedroom, the door nailed shut, on Aug. 20; the wife escaped more than a day later
- The suspect, 46-year-old Truman Delaney, was arrested and accused of assault, grand larceny, unlawful imprisonment and a weapons charge
The case of a 64-year-old man who died after he and his wife were held hostage in their New York City home for 30 hours by a suspect who nailed their bedroom door shut and took their credit cards has been ruled a homicide.
Doru Vaduvescu died of atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, but the medical examiner's office listed complications from multiple blunt impact injuries to the head and torso as significant contributors to his death, which led to the determination of homicide released Thursday.
Authorities have said Vaduvescu and his 68-year-old wife were locked in their Lower East Side home Aug. 20; the wife escaped the nailed-shut bedroom by climbing out a window after more than a full day captive in there with no food.
Once the wife escaped and sought help, police arrested Truman Delaney, 46, on charges of assault, grand larceny, unlawful imprisonment and other crimes. It wasn't immediately clear if he would face upgraded charges, nor was information on a possible attorney for him immediately available.
It also wasn't clear how or if the victims knew Delaney. The suspect allegedly struck the husband multiple times, causing bleeding and broken bones, according to police. He also forced them to give up their credit cards' pin numbers, then used the couple's money to buy beer and cigarettes, police said.
