Police charged a 41-year-old man with murder Saturday in connection with the fatal beating of a Washington Heights mother inside her apartment.
Detectives escorted Tiliek Shamel Thompson from the 33rd Precinct station house after he surrendered to authorities earlier in the day.
Officers discovered 27-year-old Lovay Williams unresponsive with severe face and neck injuries during a wellness check at her apartment.
Emergency medical personnel pronounced Williams dead at the scene, where her 7-year-old daughter was present inside the home during the encounter.
Defense attorney Neville Dexter urged the public to withhold early judgments while noting that unknown individuals had been implicating his client online.
Addressing the ongoing speculation surrounding the arrest, Dexter requested patience by stating, “Everybody should reserve judgement.”
He added that investigators still lack clarity about the surrounding circumstances, emphasizing, “We don’t know what happened.”
The victim’s brother Nuquan Williams expressed deep grief over the horrific loss while demanding complete accountability for the person responsible.
Calling for justice outside the building, he urged the killer to take responsibility by declaring, “Man up to the things you did!”
Reflecting on the ongoing pain affecting the victim’s young child, Asia Walker shared how securing custody of the suspect brings relief, noting, “Honestly, I know we ain’t gotta worry about him hurting nobody else and my niece can be at ease.”