Police Hunting for Apartment Squatters Suspected in Murder of NYC Mother

Law enforcement officials in New York City revealed they suspect a 52-year-old mother found murdered last week in her upscale apartment was killed by two squatters who took over the property. The New York Post first reported the story.

Nadia Vitels’ son, Michael Medvedev, discovered her corpse on March 14 in her “upscale” Kips Bay apartment on East 31st Street after not hearing from her for several days. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny explained that Medvedev made the gruesome discovery just as he was about to cease his search.

“As they're getting ready to leave, the son opens up the closet door near the front door and discovers the duffel bag with a foot sticking out,” Kenny said.

The building’s longtime superintendent, Jean Pompee, told the outlet that he believes Vitels recently began subletting the apartment from the leaseholder. He claimed that he did not know she would be moving into the residence.

Kenny now believes that Vitels was murdered by two squatters who had likely taken over the apartment some time ago. It’s unclear when the residence was last occupied before Vitels moved in earlier this month.

“We believe that some squatters took the apartment over and this woman came home…and walked in on the squatters that were there,” Kenny elaborated.

He went on to explain that, due to the apartment’s layout, the suspects were likely able to elude Vitels for some time. “The apartment itself is very unique in that there's no front door to the apartment. You take an elevator up and then you key your way in. The elevator is actually your front door,” Kenny explained.

The state’s medical examiner ruled Vitels’ death a homicide. It was determined she suffered multiple facial fractures, a brain bleed, two broken ribs, and blunt-force trauma to the head.

Police have identified two suspects, a Black male and female, who they claim were caught on security video fleeing the property in Vitels’ Lexus SUV around the time of her death. This footage has not been publicly released.

It’s believed that the suspects drove Vitels’ car into New Jersey via the George Washington Bridge and made their way into Pennsylvania before crashing the SUV in Lower Braxton Township. Authorities say they allegedly tried to pay $1,000 for a new vehicle, but it’s unclear whether or not they were able to acquire it.

"As of right now, we have probable cause, we have two subjects, we have the Regional Fugitive Task Force actively hunting as we speak,' Kenny vowed.

Vitels, a Russian native, was a tennis phenom who moved to the U.S. to play in college. She later went to graduate school in Miami, after which she worked in marketing. Vitels mounted campaigns for Canon and Nokia, as well as for fellow Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova’s candy brand, Sugarpova.

Vitels had only recently moved into Manhattan, a decision her son recalls her being optimistic about. “[She was] getting ready to move to New York City, where she would conquer the world,” Medvedev said. “She was so excited to move into the city.”

Vitels’ tragic end is just one in a string of squatting incidents across the country. In Los Angeles, a “nightmare Airbnb guest” was recently evicted after a marathon legal battle. Another New York homeowner was recently arrested for trying to evict squatters, while a couple in upstate New York is currently trying their hardest to evict a 32-year-old squatter from their dream home.

This is a developing story. Check back later for more information.