Yonkers police say they have made an arrest in the double homicide that was discovered Monday.
Officials say Luis Gabriel Ramos, 27, of Yonkers, broke into a home at 68 Shipman Ave. on Monday and used a knife to kill the Isabella Triano-Carpio, 70, and her 38-year-old daughter Patricia Miller. He has been charged with two counts of murder in the second degree.
Ramos was apprehended in Arizona, and officials are trying to extradite him to face charges in New York. Police say the town where he was taken into custody is about 100 miles from the Mexican border, and they believe he might have been heading to the Mexican border. They think he drove from Yonkers to Arizona. He was taken in custody without incident.
Detectives were able to track Ramos down after speaking with one of his former girlfriends.
Police say that while they don't know what the motive of the crime was, there is evidence that the suspect and the victims knew each other.
Police revealed Ramos was arrested several days before the killings in the town of LaGrange in Dutchess County.
He was charged with third-degree arson for allegedly lighting a car on fire off the Taconic State Parkway on Oct. 26.
He was released without bail, outraging critics of New York's bail reform laws.
"Two people are dead now because of these laws, and they need to be severely, severely changed," says Keith Olson, president of the Yonkers Police Benevolent Association.
Yonkers Police Commissioner John Mueller says this was an especially challenging investigation because of a hoarding situation at the home, and investigators needed to wear HazMat suits. DPW trucks have been hauling garbage bags full of items that were filling the outside area and inside the home.
Officers went to the home Monday afternoon after a "check on welfare" call since the women hadn't been seen since Friday. A friend of the daughter's had called police because she hadn't heard from them in a couple of days.
Triano-Carpio was an employee of the Yonkers Public Schools for 24 years. In a statement today, the district said "Ms. Triano-Carpio began her career in 1997 as a custodial worker at Museum Middle School and in 2005 transferred to Saunders Trades & Technical High School. This tragic passing significantly impacts the staff and students at Saunders where she spent her last 16 years. Ms. Triano-Carpio epitomized a valued employee who was conscientious about her work and was a beloved member of the school's family. She is fondly remembered as a caring and kind individual who always ask with a smile, how are you doing and how is your family."
Police add that Ramos was arrested for felony arson in Wappingers Falls on Oct. 26, but was released immediately on his own recognizance.
