A man from the Bronx, accused of torturing and killing his 21-year-old girlfriend, Princesa Encarnación Soto, left her body in a staircase. His whereabouts remain unknown more than a week later.
The NYPD released a video late Thursday featuring 27-year-old Robert Strother, who is wanted in connection with her murder that occurred on July 22.
Strother is reported to be around 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 245 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black and red sweater along with white and gray sneakers.
Authorities have not confirmed when or where the video was recorded.
Encarnación-Soto was found unconscious in a stairwell on the third floor of a building on Grand Concourse, near 183rd Street, according to police.
The young woman, suffering from severe injuries and barely breathing, was taken to Bronx Care Health System but was pronounced dead.
Officers found blood leading to Strother’s apartment, where the alleged abuse took place.
Reports indicate that Encarnación-Soto was bound, repeatedly stabbed, and beaten with a hammer before being disposed of.
“We believe she was restrained to a bed,” stated NYPD Detective Chief Joseph Kenney. “The injuries indicate severe pain was inflicted intentionally.” He noted wounds on her thighs and upper arms that were particularly troubling.
Moreover, authorities discovered that Strother’s mother, 54-year-old Nida Jorge, attempted to clean up the crime scene post-murder, leading her to be arrested for murder and manslaughter.
“She tried to erase evidence,” added Kenney. “There was no blood on her clothes when she left the scene.”
Jorge has been held without bail following her arrest last Friday at Bronx Crown Court.
Judge Harold Barr commented that she allegedly helped her son evade justice.
Her lawyer, Jason Gazewood, argued that she has always been a law-abiding citizen.
Gazewood also noted that the court documents lack specifics on Jorge’s involvement and do not suggest any direct responsibility for the victim’s injuries.
“It appears she isn’t the main perpetrator,” he remarked. “It seems more like she was there post-incident.”
Jorge is scheduled to return to court on August 18th.
