Chasity and Zella Nunez, Worcester mother and 11 year old daughter gunned down in ambush shooting as cops arrest one man and seek second man, Dejan Belnavis. No known motive.
A mother and daughter were shot and killed in what Massachusetts authorities believe was an ambush shooting, Tuesday afternoon in Worcester. The two were in a parked SUV vehicle on Lisbon Street near Englewood Avenue when their car was sprayed with gunfire just after 3 p.m.
Chasity Nunez, 27, and her 11-year-old daughter, Zella Nunez, were rushed to a hospital where they died, CBS News reported. Locals described a flood of gunfire beginning and ending in a matter of seconds before two assailants fleeing the scene.
‘I could hear this sound, that was not like anything I’ve heard before,’ neighbor Linda Orcutt told the news outlet, adding, when asked about how many gunshots she heard, ‘Several, maybe like 12, maybe more in a row. One after another.’
In the aftermath of the attack, bullet holes riddled the parked vehicle as detectives taped off the area and begun ballistics investigations. The vehicle had at least four bullet holes on the driver’s side of its windshield and at least a dozen bullet holes, in the driver’s side door and window.
Sgt. Sean Murtha, Public Information Officer for the Worcester Police Department, said a ‘fairly high number’ of shots were fired into the SUV.
‘This kind of thing is unusual for the city in general, this was a very violent act,’ Murtha said.
Worcester police on Thursday morning announced that Karel Mangual, 28, of Worcester, was arrested Wednesday night. He was scheduled to be arraigned in Worcester Central District Court on charges of armed assault to murder and carrying a gun without a license, Thursday morning. Of note, Mangual also had a preexisting arrest warrant.
Police were still searching for a second suspect, 27-year-old Dejan Belnavis, who is considered armed and dangerous. Belnavis is described as being about 5′11 and 160 pounds. Police say Belnavis is wanted on charges of armed assault with intent to murder and possession of a firearm without a license.
‘She was a little girl,’ said the victims’ relative, Tyrae Sims. ‘She was a little girl. And they willingly did that. Like looked, saw, do you know what I’m saying? Like, that’s what upsets me. Saw that she was a little girl and did that. That’s ridiculous.’
Nichole Ostiguy said it’s a time of day her son gets out of school, along with many other children. ‘I’m shaking. Even walking to pick up my son today, especially after hearing the news earlier, it’s pretty scary,’ said Ostiguy.
Mourning alongside the family are city leaders who condemned the horrific act of gun violence. Worcester City Councilor and Vice Chairman Khrystian King met Chasity and knew the family.
‘This is a deeply, deeply dark moment for our city,’ said King. ‘The folks must be brought to justice it’s very clear that their intentions were exactly what they were.’
‘The loss of life, these two precious human beings, a mother and daughter. Yeah, I just have no words for how devastating this feels,’ said Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, who lives up the street.
Chasity Nunez was in the Army Reserve and leaves behind another daughter.
‘When did it become OK to harm women and children?’ said Sims. ‘When did those gloves come off?’
No known motive was immediately known nor how the mother and daughter came to be targeted. Also not known was the connection of the two alleged assailants to the Worcester mother and daughter.
Anyone with information is asked to call Worcester Police at 508-799-8651.
