NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Residents rallied for justice Monday as a suspect was charged in the brutal killing of a woman who was followed into her apartment and stabbed to death while returning home early Sunday.
Assamad Nash, 25, was charged with murder and burglary in the killing of Christina Yuna Lee, 35, police said.
On Monday morning, around 100 people, including elected leaders and community group members, held a vigil and rallied in a park across from the apartment building on Chrystie Street, near Grand Street, where police said Lee was followed and killed by Nash the day before.
Neighbors said they heard chilling screams around 4:20 a.m. Sunday coming from Lee’s apartment.
Nash followed Lee up six flights of stairs to her apartment, where he pushed his way in and stabbed her to death, according to police.
Nash first tried to flee down a fire escape and then barricaded himself inside the apartment, police said. Members of the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit responded and were able to gain entry and arrest him after about 90 minutes.
Lee was found in her bathtub and pronounced dead at the scene.
Disturbing surveillance video allegedly shows Nash following Lee into her building—slipping through the front door as it is closing behind her and then following her up the staircase to the sixth floor.
Nash, who had been staying in a nearby homeless shelter on the Bowery, was taken to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation Sunday.
He was arrested most recently a month ago and has three open court cases, according to officials, who said he’s been arrested at least seven times since 2015.
Lee worked as a senior creative producer at Splice, an online platform for digital music. She was a graduate of Rutgers University and had previously worked for companies including Marriott and the shoe retailer Toms, according to her LinkedIn page.
The killing happened weeks after another woman of Asian descent, Michelle Alyssa Go, was killed by a man who pushed her in front of an oncoming subway train at the Times Square station. And it comes as anti-Asian hate crimes have surged in the city over the past couple of years.
At Monday's rally, people prayed for Lee and called on Mayor Eric Adams to do more to stop attacks on members of the community, with one person holding a sign that read, "Mayor Adams, please save Chinatown."
While Lee's killing has not been designated as a hate crime by the NYPD, state Sen. John Liu told 1010 WINS it is yet another attack on an Asian New Yorker.
“No matter how many times this has happened, we have spoken out every single time about the injustice, about the pain, and about the need for government of all levels to take action,” Liu said.
Adams released a statement on the stabbing Sunday, saying, “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.”
“The NYPD is investigating this horrific incident, and I thank them for apprehending the suspect,” Adams continued. “While the suspect who committed this heinous act is now in custody, the conditions that created him remain. The mission of this administration is clear: We won’t let this violence go unchecked.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted, "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."
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand also released a statement, saying, “Once again, the Asian-American community has been devastated by an act of senseless violence. I share in their grief and I'm praying for the victim's family, friends and loved ones. Decisive action is needed to prevent these attacks—all levels of government must work together to deliver resources to reduce homelessness, bolster mental health services and protect vulnerable New Yorkers.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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