NYC woman killed by 19-year-old teen tenant in fight over unpaid rent

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: During a dispute over unpaid rent, a teen allegedly strangled his landlord to death and left the body for her son to find the next day.

David Vidal, 19, was arrested in connection with the death of Leo Zoraida, 55, who was discovered inside her home in New York City's Queens borough with scratches on her face.

What did police say in Leo Zoraida murder case?

According to the New York Daily News, Zoraida's son called police after discovering her body on the floor of the home on 96th Street near 32nd Avenue in East Elmhurst at 5.15 pm on Tuesday, December 5.

Police initially suspected Zoraida had been beaten to death, but an autopsy revealed that she died as a result of strangulation. Vidal, who lived above, was arrested later that day.

The teen assaulted Zoraida because he had not paid his rent. Prosecutors said he admitted strangling her and then pushing her down the stairs.

"When she fell, I didn't help her because I was scared," Vidal claimed to the police who detained him. "I didn’t know what to do, I’m not a doctor. It’s my fault that she died because I pushed her," further added.

Vidal stated that after pushing Zoraida down, he called her name, but she was unresponsive. "I turned out the lights because I didn't want to see her there lying on the floor," he informed the police.

Davi Vidal held without bail

According to the New York Post, an emergency worker who responded to the scene pronounced Zoraida dead. Vidal has been charged with first-degree murder. During his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on Thursday, he was being held without bail. The incident is still being investigated.

Zoraida's death comes less than a month after a Brooklyn landlord set fire to an apartment where his tenants had stopped paying rent, forcing the parents to throw four of their six children to neighbors in order to save them.

In another incident, a man was arrested two weeks ago for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a Washington state couple he was renting from who were attempting to evict him. Three weeks later, the couple's bodies were discovered at a military base.