A former convict has been apprehended and accused of being involved in the tragic demise of a woman whose lifeless body was discovered inside a sleeping bag on a street in New York City, according to authorities.
Chad Irish, 55, was arrested on Monday, July 8, for allegedly concealing a human corpse. The arrest took place in the Kips Bay neighborhood on East 27th Street and 2nd Avenue after the NYPD responded to a report of a dispute, according to a statement shared with PEOPLE. According to the statement, a disorderly crowd gathered and became irate as the individual was being taken into custody by the police.
As per a report from ABC 7, a resident in the neighborhood had identified Irish, who uses a wheelchair, as a potential suspect, which resulted in a disagreement.
The police have obtained surveillance video showing a man in a motorized wheelchair transporting the body of 31-year-old Jazmeen Williams. The body was discovered inside a plastic bag next to several trash bags on East 27th Street on Friday, July 5. Upon inspection, authorities discovered the remains of Williams concealed within a sleeping bag.
According to a video shared by Fox 5, a crowd of people can be seen expressing their anger towards the suspect as he is being apprehended on a stretcher. They can be heard shouting offensive language and appearing to attempt to harm him, until he is eventually transported away in an ambulance.
According to a police statement, Irish was transported to a hospital and is currently in stable condition. The investigation is still ongoing.
The NYPD has released a statement stating that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has concluded that Williams’ cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and her death has been ruled a homicide.
Although Irish has not been charged with murder, police have conducted a search warrant at his apartment, which they believe is the location where Williams was killed, as reported by ABC 7. The outlet also mentioned that Irish has a history of being in and out of prison, with 21 prior arrests on record.
As reported by the New York Daily News, authorities have revealed that Irish has a lengthy criminal record that spans all the way back to 1985. The crimes he has been involved in include robbery, assault, arson, and drug possession.
It is uncertain whether Irish has pleaded guilty or hired a lawyer to represent him in the charge of concealing a human corpse. It is unclear whether Irish and Williams were acquainted, as the police have not provided any information on their relationship.
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