This week, a female tenant was charged with the murder of a building manager inside her Queens apartment, where her body was found stabbed, beaten and wrapped in trash bags. Police said she got into an argument with her husband over $24,000 in unpaid rent.
Sandra Coto-Navarro, 48, was also involved in the death of Jose Portillo, who was found hiding under a bed with a body bag inside his Kew Gardens Hills apartment around 5pm on Tuesday. He is reportedly facing charges of tampering with physical evidence and possession of a weapon. To the police.
“It's crazy,” a woman who identified herself as the victim's distraught ex-wife said Thursday as she stood outside in the cold. “I want to see her. The one who hit him. The one who killed him. I want to see her.”
“He tried to help everyone,” she said. “He tried to help them, but they killed him. It's terrible.”
Afterwards, she waited outside the 107th Precinct in tears, facing Coto-Navarro's predictable assault.
Officials said Portillo had entered Coto-Navarro's 70th Street apartment with a man to discuss rent collection when the altercation occurred.
Officials said the property owner told investigators he saw Portillo enter the couple's apartment but did not see him leave.
Officials said Portillo's brother requested a medical exam when Portillo still hadn't come out.
Portillo was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Officials said the man was found to have blunt force trauma to his head, a stab wound to his neck and a cut to the back of his knee.
The city medical examiner's office did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding his official cause of death.
Police said Coto-Navarro and her husband owed $24,000 in back rent.
Authorities said Portillo was home alone when she launched the attack after being sent to collect rent.
The woman's husband, who was initially questioned by police, was released after investigators reviewed the video and realized he was not present at the time of the killing, police said.
When officers showed up for a welfare check, he led them “to the body,” a police source said.
On Thursday afternoon, NYPD detectives were seen carrying bags of evidence out of the building.
“I've heard something about a rent dispute,” Jessica Avila, who lives upstairs, said in Spanish.
“That night, he was trying to collect rent from someone and was asking about them,” Avila said. “I don't know if it was for the suspect or someone else, but he was looking for someone.”
Avila said the victim “talked to himself a lot and was always complaining about my two kids playing upstairs.”
“My husband used to argue about it a lot,” she added. “The woman who used to live here had an even worse fight with him over the same issue, so she moved out, even if it meant paying more money.”
Alison Atlas, 31, who lives next door and works as a psychologist, said her neighbors were “all completely shocked” by the murder.
“None of us can believe this,” Atlas said. “We all cared about him and liked him! He was a good guy, a really nice guy. Even if I said something, he was very thoughtful. He was kind.”
“I told him I was feeling cold in my apartment and he came over and told me that was the reason.” [of] He will also take out my air conditioner and put it back in the spring, no problem,” she said. “It's absolutely crazy. This whole community is in shock. Absolutely crazy!”
A rose was placed on Portillo's doorstep Thursday.
“[Portillo] It's been a grocery store here for 20-30 years,” said Jessica Cortez, 25, another neighbor. “He has children. He is divorced. He was willing to help people with any problems. He was a good person.”
Police confirmed a man was also taken into custody, but it was unclear Thursday whether he would be charged.
Additional reporting by Ronnie Reyes
