New York City police have launched a manhunt for an ex-con serial robber suspected of killing a Queens man and woman found dead in their burned-out home Monday afternoon — after he talked his way inside claiming to need a phone charge.
“This individual should be considered armed and dangerous,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters Tuesday afternoon, asking for the public’s help tracking him down.
He is 42-year-old Jamel McGriff, whose rap sheet goes back decades and includes a 16-year prison stint, Tisch said.
The victims have been identified as husband and wife Frank and Maureen Olton, 76 and 77 years old, respectively. They were found dead in their house in the Bellerose neighborhood, about two miles from horse racing’s famous Belmont Park racetrack around 3:30 p.m.
The victims were identified as a 77-year-old male and 78-year-old female. Their names were being withheld pending notification of their family. (FNTV)
FOX 5 New York reported that about 60 firefighters spent less than an hour battling flames, which are believed to have been lit by the suspect on the first floor before spreading.
Neighbors told the station the male victim was an avid Yankees fan and had lived in the home for about 40 years.
“That was our conversation — the Yankees was always conversation,” an unnamed neighbor was quoted as saying. “It sucks man, to come home to this is like you know, you hear about this stuff happening in other neighborhoods and you feel for it, but when it happens, like literally right across the street from you dude, it’s not cool.”
Members of law enforcement were seen passing a battery-powered saw through the window during the scene investigation. (FNTV)
