Squatter Murdered Woman Before Stuffing Body in Bag and Using Her Card to Buy PS5
Halley Tejada has been convicted of killing 52-year-old mother Nadia Vitels before stealing her credit card and embarking on a nine-day shopping spree to purchase a selection of expensive items, including a PlayStation 5 console. The brutal crime unfolded in March 2024, just as Ms. Vitels was moving into a new apartment in Manhattan, marking what should have been a fresh start in her life.
Horrific Discovery and Violent Attack
Nadia Vitels was found dead inside a duffel bag at her Manhattan flat on March 14, 2024. Prosecutors accused Halley Tejada and Kensly Alston of entering her apartment while she was in the process of moving in. The pair were allegedly present in the home when Ms. Vitels returned some days later with her dog. Tejada was charged with her murder, with court hearings revealing that he had left Ms. Vitels' body stuffed in a bag inside a closet, which was later discovered by her horrified son.
An indictment posted in April 2024 by prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney's office detailed that Tejada had beaten the mother to death. Prosecutors described the injuries as "the kind of fracture typically seen when someone gets struck by a train or falls from a great height." This graphic account underscores the extreme violence of the attack, which cut short Ms. Vitels' plans for a new beginning.
Shopping Spree and Apprehension
Following the murder, Tejada and Alston stole Ms. Vitels' credit card, concealed her body, and drove off in her car headed for Pennsylvania. There, they went on a nine-day spending spree using the stolen card. Among the items they purchased, according to prosecutors, were a PS5, clothing, food, and a diamond ring that prosecutors said they "got engaged with." This callous use of the victim's funds added a layer of financial exploitation to the already heinous crime.
The pair were apprehended on March 22, 2024, in York, Pennsylvania. They faced a slew of charges, including:
- Two counts of murder in the second degree
- One count of burglary in the first degree
- One count of robbery in the first degree
- Six counts of criminal possession of stolen property
- Seven counts of grand larceny
- Three counts of concealment of a human corpse
Sentencing and Family Impact
Tejada was sentenced this week at the Manhattan Supreme Court, after pleading guilty to second-degree murder on December 17 last year. He received a 20-year-to-life prison term. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. issued a statement hailing the sentence while offering condolences to Ms. Vitels' family. He said, "Nadia Vitels was about to start a new chapter of her life when Halley Tejada brutally murdered her in the very apartment she was moving into. Halley Tejada has been sentenced to a sentence of 20-years-to-life in state prison for his abhorrent and fatal conduct. My thoughts are with Ms. Vitels’ loved ones who continue to mourn her painful loss. I know this sentence will not bring her back, but I hope it can serve as a measure of comfort."
During the sentencing, Ms. Vitels' son provided a victim impact statement to the judge, remembering his doting mother while condemning Tejada as an "animal." He shared, "Her laugh was the weirdest, most infectious sound. I hear it in my head. It was just us against the world. It's just me now. I'm alone now. This animal took her from me." He concluded by vowing to "live my life the Nadia way ... to the fullest with hard work, with selflessness, with courage."
Prosecutors noted that Alston's case is still pending, and she has pleaded not guilty. The legal proceedings continue as justice is sought for the tragic loss of Nadia Vitels, whose life was brutally ended just as she embarked on a new journey.
