‘Killer’ teen squatter worried about BF hurting his feet as he stomped NYC mom, bought PS5, diamond ring with her credit card

Haley Brown, Reuven Fenton, Jorge Fitz-Gibbon
·4 min read
Halley Tejada, 19, Pictured entering 100 Centre street court after being arrested in York
Halley Tejada, 19, Pictured entering 100 Centre street court after being arrested in York

A callous teen squatter was more worried about her boyfriend’s feet than the Manhattan mom he was stomping to death inside her own apartment, prosecutors revealed in court Thursday.

“You should put your shoes on,” 18-year-old Kensly Alston allegedly told fellow squatter Halley Tejada, 19, as he viciously pounded mom Nadia Vitels in her invaded apartment last month, prosecutors said.

“You’re going to hurt yourself.”

The Manhattan DA’s office said Vitels, 52, was still breathing when the pair then stuffed her inside a duffel back and shoved it in a closet.

Halley Tejada, 19 (pictured) and Kensly Alston, 18, were extradited from Pennsylvania to face charges in the death of Nadia Vitels, William Farrington
Halley Tejada, 19 (pictured) and Kensly Alston, 18, were extradited from Pennsylvania to face charges in the death of Nadia Vitels, William Farrington
Alston is seen arriving at court. POOL photos
Alston is seen arriving at court. POOL photos

The shocking details emerged as the accused killers were hauled into Manhattan Supreme Court on a felony indictment Thursday. The had just been extradited from Pennsylvania, where they drove in the victim’s Lexus SUV and enjoyed a nine-day shopping spree with her credit card.

“Kensly Alston and Halley Tejada allegedly murdered Nadia Vitels in her own apartment while she was moving in to start a new chapter in her life,” Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said in a statement.

“I send my deepest condolences to her friends and family as they continue to mourn her loss,” Bragg added. “My office will secure justice for Nadia Vitels.”

The two teens were each charged with second-degree murder, burglary, robbery, possession of stolen property, grand larceny and concealment of a corpse.

Nadia Vitels, 52, was killed inside her mother’s upscale Manhattan apartment last month.
Nadia Vitels, 52, was killed inside her mother’s upscale Manhattan apartment last month.

Neither suspect spoke during their court appearances and both were ordered held without bail by Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro.

Police found Vitels’ broken body on March 14 during a welfare check after her worried son called the cops about his missing mom.

She was found stuffed in the duffel bag shoved into a closet, her leg sticking out of the bag, with a cord wrapped around her neck and another around her torso, prosecutors said in court.

The 19th-floor apartment on East 31st Street had been vacant for three or four months after Vitets’ mother’s death, according to police.

They were each charged with second-degree murder, burglary, robbery, possession of stolen property, grand larceny and concealment of a corpse. BRIGITTE STELZER
They were each charged with second-degree murder, burglary, robbery, possession of stolen property, grand larceny and concealment of a corpse. BRIGITTE STELZER
Neither suspect spoke during their court appearances. POOL photos
Neither suspect spoke during their court appearances. POOL photos

Vitels, freshly back from a trip to Spain, stopped by the apartment briefly on March 10 to drop off some things to prepare the place for some relatives to stay there, authorities said.

Less than 90 minutes later, after Vitels left, Alston and Tejada were spotted on surveillance camera footage entering the building.

The two broke into the apartment lugging a pink suitcase.

Vitels returned on March 12 around 11:30 a.m., leaving her SUV parked outside before going in — and coming face-to-face with her killers, cops and prosecutors said.

She demanded that the intruders get out, but Tejada allegedly screamed back that he was going to kill her, prosecutors said.

Police said Nadia Vitels was preparing her dead mother’s apartment for relatives when she stumbled onto two squatters and was beaten to death. Her body was stuffed in a duffel bag and shoved into a closet. Kevin C. Downs for NY Post
Police said Nadia Vitels was preparing her dead mother’s apartment for relatives when she stumbled onto two squatters and was beaten to death. Her body was stuffed in a duffel bag and shoved into a closet. Kevin C. Downs for NY Post

Vitels tried to make a run for a bedroom window, but Tejada allegedly chased and threw her to the ground, where he stomped her.

The two suspected killers then went on to Target, where they were caught on surveillance video buying vaping supplies and toiletries with the victim’s credit card before taking off in her SUV.

Vitels’ 23-year-old son, who hadn’t heard from his mother since getting a text from her on the day she was killed, called police for a wellness check on March 14 — and made the grisly discovery.

Police said the victim had blunt force injuries to her head, multiple facial fractures, a brain injury and two broken ribs, authorities said.

Meanwhile, Tejada and Alston were on the run in Pennsylvania, using the dead mom’s credit card to buy a PS5 game system, AirPods, clothes, food and even a diamond ring, prosecutors said.

The pair was finally caught by US Marshals in Lower Paxton Township after getting into a crash with the stolen SUV — and were held pending extradition back to New York City.

Both were ordered held without bail at their Manhattan arraignments on Thursday pending return court appearances.

Tejada, led into the courtroom in handcuffs, was allowed to hug his father in the hallway before his arraignment, with both men sobbing.

The dad and suspect refused questions and yelled at reporters to stop taking pictures.

Despite the unusual embrace, prosecutors said Tejada had a pending criminal mischief charge for kicking in a glass door at this dad’s apartment in Washington Heights when Vitels was killed.