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Man wanted for Worcester murder of mother and daughter arrested in California
Worcester police said 27-year-old Dejan Belnavis was arrested in California almost a week after the murders.
The man accused of killing a mother and her young daughter in Worcester last week has been arrested in California, Worcester police said Monday night.
Dejan Belnavis, 27, was arrested around 5:40 p.m. local time in the San Diego, Calif. area. Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said there was no violence when Belnavis was arrested near the San Diego Zoo.
The DA said that Belnavis, originally charged with armed assault to murder and firearm possession charges, will face an upgraded charge of murder after he is extradited back to Massachusetts. Another suspect already in custody will also be charged with murder, the DA said.
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On March 5, a mother and daughter were shot in a parked car on Lisbon Street around 3:10 p.m. They were transported to a local hospital where they both died, police said. Family members identified the victims as Chasity Nuñez and Zella, her 11-year-old daughter, local outlets reported.
“This brings great relief to Chasity and Zella’s family and also in that neighborhood, also to the Worcester Public Schools,” Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty said.
According to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, the other man accused in the killings is 28-year-old Karel Mangual. Mangual pleaded not guilty last week and is being held without bail.
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Belnavis had been wanted by the U.S. Marshals since last week. Authorities had just doubled the reward to $10,000 for information about his whereabouts earlier on Monday afternoon.
The U.S. Marshals said Belnavis was armed and dangerous, but officials would not say if he had a weapon at the time of his arrest at a press conference Monday night.
Officials said that they were tracking Belnavis with “law enforcement technology” for a week, Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said. He would not elaborate on what technology.
At the press conference , Worcester officials emphasized the collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies across the country led to Belnavis’s arrest.
“These guys are 24/7, and they weren’t going to stop until this person was in custody,” Saucier said. “I give a lot of thanks to them. Very difficult job. The circumstances were difficult. We all have kids at home.”
Next, DA Early said Belnavis will appear in court after he is extradited, a process which could take a while if Belnavis fights the extradition.
“Hopefully not,” Early said about a potentially delayed court appearance. He said details like motives and the potential relationship between the victims and the accused would be revealed in the courtroom.
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