Police arrest suspect in killing of Connecticut National Guard specialist and her daughter
The man suspected of killing a Connecticut National Guard specialist and her daughter in Massachusetts was arrested in California on Monday, police said.
In a post on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, Massachusetts State Police said Monday that Dejan Belnavis, 27, was apprehended in San Diego. They said Belnavis is suspected in the homicides of Chasity Nunez and her daughter, Zella Nunez.
Police said Belnavis will be charged with armed assault to murder with a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license. A second suspect, Karel Mangual, of Worcester, Mass., had been arrested prior to Belnavis
and brought up on the same charges, they said.
According to court filings, security camera footage showed two men approach a parked car and open fire in Worcester, Mass. last Tuesday, killing Nunez and her daughter. A car authorities believe was used during the shooting later was found in Hartford.
The criminal complaint for Mangual’s arrest filed in Massachusetts state court reports the shooting was reported around 3:10 p.m. on March 5 near Lisbon Street and Englewood Avenue. It said Nunez and her daughter were found in the car shot and in serious condition, adding they were taken to the hospital where they later died.
The complaint said investigators reviewed video footage that showed a white sedan containing the suspected gunmen circling the area.
The two men were seen walking up to the car containing Chasity and Zella Nunez and opened fire, according to the complaint, then fled on foot back to the sedan. Footage also captured the car fleeing the area, it said.
Cell tower data placed Belnavis’ phone in the area at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint. Police were also able to track the car, which had Massachusetts plates, through AT&T using using its “connected car system.” They said that led them to Hartford.
“A check of Belnavis showed he had a relative who resided close to where the vehicle had been parked in Hartford,” the complaint said.
Video footage from Hartford showed both men getting out of the vehicle, the complaint said.
Police said they took Mangual into custody on Wednesday without incident.
Authorities were offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Belnavis’ arrest.
Nunez held the rank of specialist and was assigned to the 142nd Medical Company, based in Danbury, where she served as a Patient Administration Specialist, a guard spokesperson said.
According to Guard records, Nunez had served in the military for four years and had been awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Army Achievement Medal.
“Chasity was beloved by her fellow soldiers in the 142nd Medical Company. Her wit, social nature and dedication to duty made her one of the best Soldiers in our unit. I cannot begin to make sense of why this happened and why her family, friends, co-workers and fellow Soldiers have been robbed of her and Zella,” Maj. David Pytlik, a Connecticut National Guard spokesperson, said last week. “What we can, and must do now, is support one another as we grieve, process this profound loss and honor their memory.”
A joint obituary for Chasity and Zella Nunez said Chasity was born in Worcester and attended South High School and Worcester State University. She received her master’s degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus. In addition to
serving in the Connecticut National Guard, Chasity Nunez worked as a patient safety and clinical quality coordinator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Calling hours will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Callahan Fay Caswell Funeral Home in Worcester.