Police have arrested a man in connection with the death of a 73-year-old woman found in her Harlem apartment Tuesday with plastic wrap over her head and her feet bound with a scarf.
Gregory Velez, 35, was charged Thursday with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney.
Police said Wednesday Velez was seen knocking on her door early Tuesday, and were looking to question Gregory Velez in the woman's murder.
Velez was apprehended last night in the Bronx, but officially arrested and charged today.
According to a source, he was identified by witnesses as being in the building Tuesday afternoon. Another source said he was seen on surveillance video carrying the victim's television.
Velez is said to have a child with the victim's niece.
The elderly woman was found inside her apartment on East 120th Street by her daughter, who went to check on her mother when she did not show up for a hair appointment where the two planned to meet.
The woman, identified by her daughter as Julie Hernandez, had plastic wrap over her head, and her feet were bound by a scarf.
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"My mom was dead on the floor," said Hernandez's daughter, Jeanette. "It was an apparent robbery. They stole several items from the apartment."
It was unclear how long Hernandez had been dead.
A television was among the items that appeared to be missing from the apartment, said Jeanette Hernandez.
Julie Hernandez had been living at the Wagner Houses building for 50 years, with no problems of any sort in the past, said her daughter.
"Everyone knew her, everyone loved her," added Julie Hernandez's granddaughter, Jasminda Otero. "Why would they do such an awful thing to her?"
