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    Tuesday, May 07, 2024

    Slayings of Conn. Guard specialist, her daughter 'shattered lives' of their family

    Services will be held Thursday for a Connecticut National Guardsman and her 11-year-old daughter who police said were killed last week in their Massachusetts neighborhood.

    Security camera footage showed two men approach a parked car and open fire in Worcester, Mass., killing Chasity Nunez and her daughter, Zella Nunez, according to court filings. Police have arrested one man in the killing and are still searching for a second suspect. After the shooting, police tracked the car to Hartford, where they said one of the men has family, according to court documents.

    A joint obituary for Chasity and Zella Nunez said Chasity was born in Worcester and attended South High School and Worcester State University. She received her master's degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus. In addition to serving in the Connecticut National Guard, Chasity Nunez worked as a patient safety and clinical quality coordinator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    Zella Nunez was a sixth-grade student at Columbus Park Preparatory Academy, a public school in Worcester, the obituary said.

    "There are no words to describe the pain this student's family is feeling as a result of this terrible tragedy. We offer them our deepest condolences as they endure unimaginable grief," Worcester Schools Superintendent Rachel Monárrez said in a statement.

    Calling hours will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Callahan Fay Caswell Funeral Home in Worcester.

    A crowdfunding page to benefit Chasity Nunez's surviving daughter, who is 2 years old, had raised more than $45,000 as of Monday afternoon.

    Chasity was "a devoted mother and valued member of the Connecticut National Guard," a friend of the family wrote on the GoFundMe page. She "epitomized dedication and love for her family, friends, and community."

    The page said that Zella Nunez was a "bright sixth-grade student cherished by many, brought joy to all who knew her," and that she had "a personality and loving demeanor that matched her mother's."

    "While we cannot undo the pain of their loss, together, we can help the Nunez family honor the memory of Chasity and Zella as they begin the arduous journey of rebuilding their shattered lives," the page said.

    The city police department on Sunday released additional photos of Dejan Belnavis, the second suspect in the shooting who police have said is still at large.

    A flyer from the U.S. Marshals said a warrant had been issued for Belnavis' arrest charging him with armed assault to murder and carrying a firearm without a license. Worcester police have said Belnavis, 27, should be considered armed and dangerous. Federal authorities are offering up to $5,000 for information that could lead to his capture.

    Worcester police have also apprehended and charged 28-year-old Karel Mangual, of Worcester. He is also facing charges of armed assault to murder and carrying a firearm without a license.

    Connecticut National Guard officials said Chasity Nunez held the rank of specialist and was assigned to the 142nd Medical Company in Danbury. She served as a patient administration specialist in the unit.

    "Both Command Sergeant Major Fredericks and I offer our condolences to her family, friends and fellow Soldiers of the 142d Medical Company and 118th Medical Battalion whose hearts are filled with pain and loss," Major Gen. Francis Evon, the guard's adjutant general, and Sergeant Maj. Arthur Fredericks, the state command sergeant major, said in a joint statement. "In this difficult time, please know that the entire Connecticut National Guard supports you and will provide every resource available to assist those in need."

    The criminal complaint for Mangual's arrest filed in Massachusetts state court provides the clearest picture of how investigators believe the shooting unfolded.

    Police said the shooting was reported around 3:10 p.m. on March 5 near Lisbon Street and Englewood Avenue.

    Investigators reviewed video footage which showed a white sedan containing the suspected gunmen circling the area, according to the complaint. The two men were seen walking up to the car containing Chasity and Zella Nunez and opened fire, then fled on foot back to the sedan. Footage also captured the car fleeing the area, according to the complaint.

    Cell tower data placed Belnavis' phone in the area at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint. Police were also able to track the car, which had Massachusetts plates, through AT&T using using its "connected car system." That led them to Hartford.

    "A check of Belnavis showed he had a relative who resided close to where the vehicle had been parked in Hartford," the complaint said.

    Video footage from Hartford showed both men getting out of the vehicle, the complaint said.

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