NEW YORK — A New York City man is accused of the stabbing death of a Queens divorce attorney, authorities said.
Nando Perez, 64, of the Bronx, described by police as a disgruntled client, is accused in last week’s killing of Charles Zolot, 65, WABC reported.
Perez was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon, according to WNBC. He faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted, WCBS reported.
Authorities on Monday arrested Nando Perez of the Bronx in connection to the murder of 65-year-old Charles Zolot, a Queens lawyer who specialized in divorces and child custody cases. https://t.co/tR3xcjwFk9
— NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) August 10, 2021
A janitor found Zolot unconscious on Thursday in his law office in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, the television station reported. Police said Zolot had been stabbed in the chest, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
In addition to being a divorce attorney, Zolot also handled child custody and real estate cases, WABC reported.
Authorities told WPIX that Perez had a long-standing dispute with Zolot. According to police, Perez was apparently unhappy over a home foreclosure and had yelled at the attorney, according to WABC.
Police said a cleaning crew found Zolot inside his office building, WCBS reported. He had trauma to his head and body, the television station reported.
“This is a brutal crime that has stunned our community,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz told WABC. “The defendant is accused of confronting the victim in his law office, stabbing him repeatedly and then leaving him to die.”
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