QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) – A man was charged with second-degree murder on Wednesday after he allegedly strangled his landlord in Queens, District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
Davi Vidal, 19, allegedly got into an argument with his landlord, 55-year-old Zoraida Leo, over rent that was due, officials said.
“We will seek justice for the brutally murdered victim and her loved ones,” Katz said. “The defendant will have to answer to the charge that he violently took her life.”
On Dec. 4, Leo told a witness she wanted to talk to Vidal about the rent he owed her for an attic unit in her home, investigators said. Leo summoned Vidal to her apartment that evening, according to officials.
The next day, Leo’s son went to check on his mother because she missed work, officials said. Family members had also been unable to contact her throughout the day. When Leo did not answer the door, her son entered her apartment and found her body at the entrance to a bathroom, according to court documents.
When police arrived, Vidal was at the scene, officials said. He was crying and had scratch marks on his face, according to the district attorney’s office.
An autopsy by the city medical examiner determined that Leo died by strangulation.
If he’s convicted, Vidal could face 25 years to life in prison.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
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