2 Indicted In Elderly Upper West Side Woman's Murder: Manhattan DA

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Two men were indicted Wednesday for the murder of an elderly woman in her Upper West Side home, the Manhattan District Attorney announced.

Lashawn Mackey, 47, and Terrence Moore, 43, were charged for the murder of Maria Hernandez, 74, who was found dead on Jan. 18 with her hands and feet tied within her apartment on West 83rd Street between Amsterdam and Columbus, police said.

“This was a brutal and callous murder that no family should ever have to experience. My thoughts are with Ms. Hernandez’s loved ones as they continue to grieve and recover from their loss,” said District Attorney Alvin Bragg in a news release.

The two men were also both charged with aggravated sexual abuse, burglary, and robbery, the Manhattan DA said.

Mackey worked as a temporary superintendent in Hernandez's Upper West Side building between May and August of 2022, the DA said.

On Jan. 18, Mackey and Moore walked into the building together, forced open the doors to the superintendent's office, and cut the electrical wires to the surveillance video system, the DA said.

The two men also fled Hernandez's apartment with two rolling bags full of her things, the DA added.

“I thank the prosecutors in my office for quickly building this case and continuing to steadfastly uncover every piece of evidence," Bragg said.