A 35-year-old woman was stabbed to death in her downtown Manhattan apartment Sunday in what appeared to be a random attack by a man who followed her into her apartment, police said.
Christina Yuna Lee arrived back at her apartment around 4 a.m. Sunday where she was killed, according to The New York Times. Neighbors called 911 after hearing screams from Lee. The New York Police Department (NYPD) responded to the scene at 111 Chrystie St. early Sunday morning, according to the outlet.
Police found the suspect, identified as Assamad Nash, barricaded inside the apartment, the outlet reported.
I’m mourning this tragic & heartbreaking loss of life.
We have seen far too many acts of violence against AAPI New Yorkers in recent months. We must make sure every community is safe in our state.
I join New Yorkers standing together in support of our AAPI friends & neighbors. https://t.co/XRYa04G9yu
— Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) February 13, 2022
Emergency Service Unit officers broke into the apartment to find Lee dead in her bathtub according to The New York Post. They also found Nash who tried to escape out through the fire escape. He was immediately arrested inside the apartment, according to the outlet.
Lee was unaware anyone was following her. “She opened the door and he just slipped in right behind her. She never even knew he was there,” said Brian Chin, Lee’s landlord, according to NBC New York. “She walked up six flights of stairs and this man mercilessly stalked her.” (RELATED: The Biden Admin’s Plan To Address Violent Crime Is What Democratic Mayors Have Asked For, New York Mayoral Candidate Says)
“This is about the community and our elected officials need to do something much different because this is all avoidable,” Chin stated.
“I and New Yorkers across the city mourn for the innocent woman murdered in her home last night in Chinatown and stand with our Asian brothers and sisters today,” Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement Sunday. “This is the definition of horrific,” he added in a tweet.