An apparent robbery turned deadly and has sparked the search for a killer on the Upper West Side where police say a 74-year-old woman was found inside her apartment this week, tied up and unresponsive.
The woman, Maria Hernandez, was discovered late Wednesday by a sister who also lives at the West 83rd Street apartment building. Maria Terrero found her sister bound and gagged inside her ransacked apartment.
"Wow, I'm still in shock. I can't believe it. It's the most terrifying moment of my life," Terrero said.
Terrero had gone upstairs to check on her sister after Hernandez's daughter called to say she had not heard from her mother.
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Police and EMS responded around 10 p.m. and found Hernandez face down on the bedroom floor with clothes piled on top of her, officials told News 4. Her injuries included fractures and external bruising across her body.
"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," said Terrero.
The medical examiner will determine her cause of death.
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Hernandez's death is being investigated as a homicide, and police say a person of interest is wanted in connection to the apparent robbery. But tracking down the responsible party may prove difficult.
The building's surveillance system was ripped out from the basement, and detectives believe the person who took it is likely responsible for the 74-year-old's death. Investigators are conducting an extended video canvass of ring cameras and other exterior cameras in the immediate area hoping to get a glimpse of the intruder.
Hernandez was a mother and grandmother known in the neighborhood for taking walks with her sister and another friend.
"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 said.
