Community Corner
Worcester Community Honors Late 11-Year-Old Zella Nunez Near Her Former School
Zella and her mother, Chasity Nunez, died after police found them shot inside a parked car in March 2024.
WORCESTER, MA — A Worcester street now carries the name of Zella Nunez outside the school she attended before her death in 2024.
Zella Nunez Way was unveiled Friday outside Columbus Park Preparatory Academy, where Zella was a student when she and her mother, Chasity Nunez, were killed in March 2024, according to Worcester Public Schools. The designation was requested by Mayor Joseph Petty and Councilor Jose Rivera on behalf of Kati D’Arcy, city records show.
Zella and Chasity Nunez died after Worcester police found them shot inside a parked car on Englewood Avenue on March 5, 2024, according to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office. Both were taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead, the DA’s office said.
Two Worcester men, Dejan Belnavis and Karel Mangual, were later indicted on two counts each of murder in their deaths, according to the DA’s office.
Chasity Nunez was a South High School graduate and a Specialist E4 in the Connecticut National Guard, according to her obituary. Zella was remembered by family and members of the school community during Friday’s dedication outside Columbus Park.
