Violent felon on parole, 32, posed as utility worker to tie up and beat 91-year-old NYC man to death, cops say
A VIOLENT felon who was out on parole dressed as a utility worker before tying up and beating a 91-year-old man to death in his own garage in New York City, cops said as they arrested the suspect.
Luis Bonilla, 32, was caught Monday in the August 3rd killing of 91-year-old Nicolo Rappa, who was allegedly beaten to death by the criminal who was posing as a worker.
Police say the suspect confronted Rappa at around 12:40pm outside his building in the Bronx and followed him into his garage, where Bonilla tied him up and beat him to death, sources told the New York Post.
The New York Daily News reported Bonilla was wandering the neighborhood looking for packages to steal when he saw the elderly man.
He allegedly tried to convince Rappa to let him into his home, but the older man refused.
A neighbor said Rappa lived with his 97-year-old wife and rented out part of their home to a tenant.
The son of the late man’s wife was the one to find Rappa unconscious when he spotted the garage door was open.
Bonilla fled in a white flatbed truck carrying traffic barrels, the New York Daily News' police sources claimed.
The criminal was reportedly released to parole in January after being convicted of attempted robbery in February 2018.
In that case, Bonilla approached a woman on a Bronx street, sprayed her with pepper spray, and stole her purse, according to court records.
He was sentenced to four years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Bonilla would have concluded his prison term on July 23 but was released on parole months prior.
He is now charged with murder, manslaughter, robbery, and assault in the case of Rappa’s brutal death.
Bonilla is awaiting arraignment in Bronx criminal court, the Daily News said.
A neighbor named Paul previously told the Post he'd recently seen Con Edison workers checking meters in the area.
But utility workers show identification “to make sure you are who you say you are,” another neighbor named Mario told the outlet.
“What I noticed is that predators have taken advantage of that,” he said.
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