The 27-year-old man wanted in connection with the deadly shooting of a Worcester woman and her daughter was arrested in California, police said. Worcester police said they planned to hold a news conference Monday night where more information about the arrest of Dejan Belnavis would be shared. Massachusetts State Police said Belnavis was taken into custody in San Diego. Chasity Nuñez, of Worcester, and her 11-year-old daughter, Zella, were the victims of Tuesday’s shooting in the city’s Columbus Park neighborhood.The arrest came just three hours after the U.S. Marshals announced they had doubled the reward in connection with the search for Belnavis from $5,000 to $10,000.Belnavis was wanted on charges of armed assault with intent to murder and possession of a firearm without a license.A police report indicates that cellphone records suggest Belnavis was in the area at the time of the shooting and that investigators have surveillance video of the shooting.”Two people walk up to the vehicle and start shooting, then they run in the direction where witnesses said a sedan was parked,” the report states. The video also showed a vehicle, which matched a witness’ description of the one used after the shooting. Through the car’s built-in cellphone system, investigators said the vehicle was located in Hartford, Connecticut, near where a relative of Belnavis resides. Another person, 28-year-old Karel Mangual, of Worcester, is charged with armed assault to murder and carrying a firearm without a license in connection with the shooting. He was in court Thursday.The Worcester Police Department said the shooting happened at about 3 p.m. last Tuesday in the area of 1 Lisbon St., which is near the intersection of Englewood Avenue.The shooting victims were found in a vehicle parked along Englewood Avenue with serious wounds. Officers removed the victims from the vehicle, and they were transported to an area hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.Chasity Nuñez spent four years in the Connecticut Army National Guard, as a patient administration specialist in the 142nd Medical Company. She earned the National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Army Achievement Medal. “Chasity was beloved by her fellow soldiers in the 142nd Medical Company. Her wit, social nature and dedication to duty made her one of the best soldiers in our unit,” reads a statement from Major Dave Pytlik, commander of the Connecticut National Guard’s 142nd Medical Company. “I cannot begin to make sense of why this happened and why her family, friends, co-workers and fellow soldiers have been robbed of her and Zella. What we can, and must do now, is support one another as we grieve, process this profound loss and honor their memory.”A statement shared by city officials indicated Chasity and Zella Nuñez were Worcester residents and that Zella was a Worcester Public Schools student.”An act of such violence has no place in our city. The residents of Worcester deserve better, and we will stand alongside our community in sorrow and solidarity,” reads a joint statement from City Manager Eric Batista, Mayor Joseph Petty, Interim Police Chief Paul Saucier and Superintendent of Schools Rachel Monárrez. “This is a deeply, deeply dark day for our city,” said Worcester City Councilor Khrystian King, who knows the Nuñez family.A relative of Chasity Nuñez, Tyrae Sims, said she was a devoted mother of two children: Zella and a younger girl.”She’s gone, Zella’s gone and her other daughter is without a mother and a big sister,” Sims said. “It’s crazy.”Sims said Zella had overcome a number of challenges over the course of her short life, as she was born premature and was legally blind.”Still, she was happy, healthy, funny and just so loving, and made it through all of that,” he said. “To be taken like this, it’s just not right.”A photograph of the crime scene showed more than three dozen evidence markers in the roadway.”This kind of thing is unusual for the city in general. This was a very violent act,” Worcester police Lt. Sean Murtha.”It’s awful,” resident Bob Shepard said. “It’s not the neighborhood. This is a quiet, family neighborhood. You don’t get this type of thing here.”
The 27-year-old man wanted in connection with the deadly shooting of a Worcester woman and her daughter was arrested in California, police said.
Worcester police said they planned to hold a news conference Monday night where more information about the arrest of Dejan Belnavis would be shared.
Massachusetts State Police said Belnavis was taken into custody in San Diego.
Chasity Nuñez, of Worcester, and her 11-year-old daughter, Zella, were the victims of Tuesday’s shooting in the city’s Columbus Park neighborhood.
The arrest came just three hours after the U.S. Marshals announced they had doubled the reward in connection with the search for Belnavis from $5,000 to $10,000.
Belnavis was wanted on charges of armed assault with intent to murder and possession of a firearm without a license.
A police report indicates that cellphone records suggest Belnavis was in the area at the time of the shooting and that investigators have surveillance video of the shooting.
“Two people walk up to the vehicle and start shooting, then they run in the direction where witnesses said a sedan was parked,” the report states.
The video also showed a vehicle, which matched a witness’ description of the one used after the shooting. Through the car’s built-in cellphone system, investigators said the vehicle was located in Hartford, Connecticut, near where a relative of Belnavis resides.
Another person, 28-year-old Karel Mangual, of Worcester, is charged with armed assault to murder and carrying a firearm without a license in connection with the shooting. He was in court Thursday.
The Worcester Police Department said the shooting happened at about 3 p.m. last Tuesday in the area of 1 Lisbon St., which is near the intersection of Englewood Avenue.
The shooting victims were found in a vehicle parked along Englewood Avenue with serious wounds. Officers removed the victims from the vehicle, and they were transported to an area hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.
Chasity Nuñez spent four years in the Connecticut Army National Guard, as a patient administration specialist in the 142nd Medical Company. She earned the National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Army Achievement Medal.
“Chasity was beloved by her fellow soldiers in the 142nd Medical Company. Her wit, social nature and dedication to duty made her one of the best soldiers in our unit,” reads a statement from Major Dave Pytlik, commander of the Connecticut National Guard’s 142nd Medical Company. “I cannot begin to make sense of why this happened and why her family, friends, co-workers and fellow soldiers have been robbed of her and Zella. What we can, and must do now, is support one another as we grieve, process this profound loss and honor their memory.”
A statement shared by city officials indicated Chasity and Zella Nuñez were Worcester residents and that Zella was a Worcester Public Schools student.
“An act of such violence has no place in our city. The residents of Worcester deserve better, and we will stand alongside our community in sorrow and solidarity,” reads a joint statement from City Manager Eric Batista, Mayor Joseph Petty, Interim Police Chief Paul Saucier and Superintendent of Schools Rachel Monárrez.
“This is a deeply, deeply dark day for our city,” said Worcester City Councilor Khrystian King, who knows the Nuñez family.
A relative of Chasity Nuñez, Tyrae Sims, said she was a devoted mother of two children: Zella and a younger girl.
“She’s gone, Zella’s gone and her other daughter is without a mother and a big sister,” Sims said. “It’s crazy.”
Sims said Zella had overcome a number of challenges over the course of her short life, as she was born premature and was legally blind.
“Still, she was happy, healthy, funny and just so loving, and made it through all of that,” he said. “To be taken like this, it’s just not right.”
A photograph of the crime scene showed more than three dozen evidence markers in the roadway.
“This kind of thing is unusual for the city in general. This was a very violent act,” Worcester police Lt. Sean Murtha.
“It’s awful,” resident Bob Shepard said. “It’s not the neighborhood. This is a quiet, family neighborhood. You don’t get this type of thing here.”
