2 'Squatters' Charged with Murder of N.Y.C. Woman Found in Duffel Bag at Apartment

Nadia Vitels was found dead in a duffel bag in her apartment on March 14, resulting in the arrests of Kensly Alston and Halley Tejada after a week-long search

Two people have been charged with the murder of a 52-year-old woman in Manhattan.

Nadia Vitels was found dead in a duffel bag in her apartment on March 14, resulting in the arrests of Kensly Alston, 18, and Halley Tejada, 19, after a week-long search the New York City Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE.

On April 18, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg announced that the pair had been charged with murdering Vitels in her apartment in Kips Bay.

Alston and Tejada were charged with two counts of second-degree murder in addition to one count of first-degree burglary, one count of first-degree robbery, six counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, seven counts of fourth-degree grand larceny and three counts of concealment of a human corpse.

Related: 2 'Squatters' in Custody After Police Found N.Y.C. Woman's Body in Duffel Bag at Apartment

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“Kensly Alston and Halley Tejada allegedly murdered Nadia Vitels in her own apartment while she was moving in to start a new chapter of her life. I send my deepest condolences to her friends and family as they continue to mourn her loss,” Bragg said in the statement. “My office will secure justice for Nadia Vitels.”

Per the press release, court documents revealed that Vitels began moving her belongings from her car to her new apartment at around 10:33 a.m. local time on March 10. A few minutes later, she left in her car.

Alston and Tejada then entered Vitels’ apartment with a pink suitcase the same day and briefly left the building twice.

Vitels returned to the apartment with her dog on March 12, and Alston and Tejada were allegedly still inside the building at the time.

According to the police timeline, the pair left the apartment at around 2:24 p.m. “to purchase a vape at a smoke shop and a suitcase at Target using Ms. Vitels’ credit card.” They later returned and used a key to enter the apartment.

That same evening, Alston and Tejada left the building with several items, including toilet paper, a Target bag, the suitcase they bought at Target and the pink suitcase they had arrived with. The teens then drove Vitels’ car towards Pennsylvania.

On March 14, Vitels’ family grew concerned because she hadn’t responded to their attempts to contact her.

After the superintendent of the building granted them access to her apartment, Vitels’ family found her dog was alone and there was a crack in a bedroom wall.

“When they checked the coat closet by the front door, coats were piled on a bag on the floor,” the press release added. “A family member moved the coats aside and noticed that the bag contained Ms. Vitels’ body.”

Vitels’ cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.

“During their nine days in Pennsylvania, Alston and Tejada made multiple purchases with Ms. Vitels’ credit cards, including a PS5, AirPods, clothing, food and a diamond ring,” the press release continued.

The two were apprehended on March 22 in York, Pa., by the United States Marshals.

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