A woman convicted of killing another woman in a New York City apartment in March 2024 and stuffing her body into a duffel bag was sentenced to prison Friday.
Two squatters have now each been sentenced to 20 years to life in state prison for murdering a mother when she returned home to her Kips Bay apartment in 2024.
“Kensly Alston and Halley Tejada were each sentenced to 20 years-to-life in state prison for brutally murdering Nadia Vitels, a mother who was starting a new chapter in life,” said District Attorney Bragg. “While I hope today’s sentencing can provide some closure, it will not bring Ms. Vitels back. My heart is with her loved ones who continue to feel her loss every day.”
The man worked in the business office of an Upper West Side senior living residence, where handling residents’ checks was simply part of the job. For more than four years, prosecutors now say, he quietly used that everyday access to drain money from some of the neighborhood’s most vulnerable people — including a 92-year-old in cognitive decline who allegedly lost more than $240,000.
To be clear, we believe Ms. Mann’s account and her credibility as a witness. This has been an extraordinarily taxing ordeal for her, and she has never wavered while testifying in front of two grand juries and three trial juries over the course of eight years. We thank her for her honesty and her tremendous bravery.
