The handyman charged with the murder of New York mother of two Orsolya Gaal was in a romantic relationship with her, NYPD detectives say.
David Bonola, 44, was arrested at 12.51am on Thursday and charged with murder, criminal tampering and criminal possession of a weapon.
Mr Bonola carried out “odd jobs” at the Forest Hills home where Ms Gaal lived with her husband and two teenage sons, police officers told a press conference Thursday.
The NYPD said Mr Bonola was living at an address in 114th St in Richmond Hill, about 5km (3 miles) from the Juno St property where Ms Gaal was killed.
Police say Ms Gaal’s killer was familiar with the property, and may have let himself in through a back door.
Law enforcement confirmed he had been in an “intimate” relationship with Ms Gaal.
Ms Gaal was stabbed 58 times in the neck, torso and arm, and suffered defensive wounds to her fingers and palm, according to the medical examiner’s office.
The killer then placed her body in a duffel bag and wheeled it six blocks away before dumping it in a park near the Jackie Robinson Parkway, where it was discovered by a dog-walker at 8am Saturday.
The “sloppy” crime scene, and fact that a sports bag had seemingly been taken from the property, led investigators to believe it was not a premeditated crime.
Detectives quickly focused on three men who Ms Gaal was reportedly in contact with on on the night she died.
Mr Bonola was reportedly identified after police found a pair of bloodied boots in a trash can outside the family home.
Mr Bonola had no prior arrests, police say.
At a press conference Thursday announcing Mr Bonola’s arrest, NYPD officers said the handyman had admitted to sending text messages from the victim’s cellphone to Ms Gaal’s husband after she was killed claiming his family were in danger.
The chilling texts claimed: “Your whole family is next... Your wife sent me to jail some years ago... I’m back.”
Police believe the text messages were “completely false”.
“We don’t believe there was any danger to the family,” an NYPD spokeswoman said.
Mr Bonola had no prior convictions, they added.
Police say Ms Gaal’s body was placed in a duffel bag and removed from the home because the killer did not want it to be discovered by her family.
Mr Bonola was originally from Mexico, and moved to the US about 21 years ago, police said.
According to a Facebook profile believed to belong to Mr Bonola, he studied at the New York School of Interior Design. He appeared to have worked as a scriptwriter.
Ms Gaal and Mr Bonola had been in an “on and off” relationship for about two years, before the relationship ended, police say.
In one post dated from May 2020, a Facebook account belonging to David Bonola commented on one of Ms Gaal’s photographs.
“Your eyes in love,” he commented along with a smiling emoji to a May 2020 post Ms Gaal made of a Zoom party.
He also posted “Hola” on a chilhood photo Ms Gall posted the same month.
The posts were made just weeks before Ms Gaal was reported missing by her husband Howard Klein.
He called 911 early on 29 May 2020 to say his wife had not returned from a late night walk the night before.
Mr Klein reported his wife had been found safe about 30 minutes later.
Mr Bonola appears to have maintained two Facebook accounts.
Ms Gaal was a prolific Facebook user, documenting her travels to Guatemala, around the United States and her home country of Hungary, as well as family occasions such as Halloween and school recitals.
