YORK, Pa. — Two persons of interest in a New York City murder case were arrested Friday in York by members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and York City Police, authorities said.
The individuals, identified as Halley Tejada, 19, of New York and Kensly Alston, 16, of York, were wanted for questioning in the murder of 52-year-old Nadia Vitels, whose body was found in a duffel bag in the closet of her mother's Manhattan apartment last week.
The apartment had been vacant for three or four months, according to reports out of New York. Authorities believe Tejada and Alston were squatting there without permission.
The duo was captured along the 200 block of Liberty Court in York on Friday morning, U.S. Marshals confirmed, but additional details regarding their capture were not immediately available, nor was there any information on what charges, if any, have been filed against them in connection to Vitels' death.
They were charged with receiving stolen property by Lower Paxton Police six days after their alleged involvement in a two-vehicle crash on Jonestown Road on March 13. The crash occurred one day before the victim's body was discovered.
The vehicle they were driving, a black Lexus SW with New York registration, belonged to Vitels, but the driver, Alston, provided the responding Lower Paxton Township Police officer with a false name, and claimed she was from New York but had a valid Pennsylvania driver's license, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday.
After police ran multiple checks on "Veah Rose," the name provided by Alston, and found no information, the officer threatened Alston with arrest for providing a false name. She then allegedly gave the officer her correct information, claiming she was "nervous," according to the complaint.
Alston's mother confirmed her information with police, and the officer did not run the vehicle's license plate number until the following day, which gave Alston and Tejada time to get away, according to authorities in New York.
While the NYPD reported Lower Paxton Township police did not run the vehicle's registration, the Lower Paxton Police Department issued a clarifying statement Friday disputing that report.
"At the time of this minor crash, the vehicle was being operated by a juvenile female, with an adult male passenger," the police department said. "The officer conducted an NCIC inquiry related to the vehicle’s registration number, which came back as a valid registration with no suspicious circumstances.
"It was discovered that there was no current insurance coverage for the vehicle and Lower Paxton Township Bureau of Police had the vehicle towed from the scene. The victim of the homicide was then discovered on the afternoon of March 14.
"At the time of the crash investigation on March 13th, the juvenile female initially gave a false name, and date of birth and provided an address in York. The male passenger did provide his name as Halley Tejada and also gave the officer a date of birth. Initially, the officer was unable to verify the information provided by the female and later determined that she gave a fictitious name and date of birth.
"Pressing the female for factual information, and after warning her that failing to tell the truth would lead to her arrest, she then provided her actual name, and the information was subsequently verified by the juvenile’s mother.
"On March 16th, 2024, as the officer was completing his formal crash report, he again ran the registration plate through NCIC. At that time it was determined the NYPD entered the vehicle into NCIC on March 14th, 2024, after the time of our crash investigation. Our officer immediately contacted the NYPD and advised them of our interaction with the vehicle and its occupants.
"They advised the registered owner, Ms. Vitels was found dead in an apartment in New York City. Subsequent to that conversation, our officers contacted the local towing agency and had it transported to our impound for further processing.
"Based on the above information, a Detective from the Lower Paxton Township Bureau of Police immediately filed charges against both subjects for receiving stolen property, entered both subjects into NCIC and obtained felony criminal arrest warrants for each of them."
According to authorities in New York, Vitels arrived at the apartment on March 12 to prepare it for a family friend. When she arrived, she found a man and a woman, believed to be Tejada and Alston, staying there without permission.
Authorities say a struggle ensued, and Vitels sustained a fatal injury after being slammed against a wall. She died of blunt force trauma to the head, authorities claim.
The suspects then stuffed her body in a duffel bag, stole her vehicle, and fled to Pennsylvania, authorities in New York believe.
Her body was found last Thursday by her son, who visited the apartment after not hearing from his mother for two days, reports out of New York state. As they were about to leave the apartment, the son opened the closet and discovered the duffel bag, with a foot sticking out.
Many of Vitels' belongings were tossed down the garbage chute, reports claim.
It is unknown how Tejada and Alston were able to access the apartment, which has no front door. The building's elevator opens directly into the apartment but requires a key to access, reports out of New York said.
After the crash in Lower Paxton Township, Tejada and Alston allegedly attempted to purchase a new vehicle from multiple dealerships in the area. Detectives recovered surveillance video of the duo's unsuccessful attempts, authorities said.
Investigators in New York also have recovered surveillance video of Vitels waiting for alternate side parking rules to park her Lexus on East 31st Street prior to entering the apartment building, and of the suspects driving away in the vehicle after she was killed.
Both Tejada and Alston waived their extradition from York County to Dauphin County, where they will be arraigned on the RSP charges and face a possible extradition back to New York.