Latisha Bell, 38, has been arrested and is being charged with murder and a weapon possession charge in connection to the death of Nichelle Thomas, 52. (Screenshots of surveillance footage obtained by The New York Daily News)
A woman in Brooklyn, New York was shot in the head in broad daylight by her ex-girlfriend in a horrifying murder that was caught on tape.
The New York Daily News reported that Latisha Bell, 38, was arraigned on Thursday (22 April) for the murder of her girlfriend, Nichelle Thomas – a mother of two children. Bell shot Thomas, 52, in broad daylight on Wednesday in Park Slope, an affluent area of Brooklyn, New York.
Bell was caught on surveillance camera footage, obtained by The New York Daily News, ‘executing’ her ex-girlfriend. Authorities told The New York Daily News that the couple, who were in a ‘two-decade’ long relationship, were broken up for three years when Bell approached Thomas from behind and shot her ‘point-blank’ in the head.
The New York Daily News reported Bell walked into the New York City Police Department – 78th Precinct in Brooklyn after the incident, according to a criminal complaint. She said she was “turning myself in for the homicide”, and that the gun is “inside the bag”.
“I need to talk to the homicide detective,” she reportedly said. “I did the shooting.”
The New York Daily News said Bell is facing charges of murder and weapon possession concerning the death of Thomas.
Bell’s sister, who declined to give her name, told The Daily Mail that her sister had been “dealing with mental issues for a very long time” and seemingly blamed the victim for not leaving Bell alone.
She said: “My sister doesn’t deserve this. She tried to leave her alone, but the woman kept coming back to her.
“Every time she saw my sister doing well she kept going back to her, knowing that she’s mentally disabled. They had a long going domestic violence issue – when my sister left she should have just kept on going.
“You don’t play with the mentally ill.”
The New York Daily News reported that Brooklyn assistant district attorney Wilfredo Cotto said Bell and Thomas were involved in 13 domestic incident reports throughout their relationship, and Bell was identified as the aggressor in 10 of them.
The news source also shared that Thomas was remembered by her friends and pastor at the Emmanuel Baptist Church, where she was a member of the congregation for 20 years. Reverend Anthony Trufant said Thomas was “very active, very prominent and much beloved” in the community.
“She is someone who had an open heart and a listening ear and an open mind,” Trufant said. “She just exuded joy.”
Her son Antionio Thomas told The New York Daily News that the family is “alright”. He added: “We’re trying to deal with it.”