Suspect in murder of mom and her 11-year-old daughter in Worcester caught

Police have caught and arrested the second suspect in the murder of a mother and her 11-year-old daughter in San Diego after a nearly week-long manhunt, Worcester Police announced Monday night.

“This tonight brings great relief to Chasity and Zella’s family here, and also that neighborhood, and also to Worcester Public Schools,” said Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty at a press conference Monday night.

Dejan Belnavis, 27, was tracked down Monday in San Diego and taken in on charges of armed assault to murder and carrying a firearm without a license in connection with the double homicide of Chasity Nunez, 27, and her daughter Zella Nunez, 11, said Interim Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier.

The DA’s office plans to upgrade charges for Belnavis and Karel Mangual, 28, of Sterling Street in Worcester, who was arrested in connection with the shooting Wednesday night.

“The other co-defendant, the charge is going to be upgraded to murder tomorrow,” said Worcester County DA Joseph Early. “And when this defendant is brought back as well, he’s going to also be charged with murder. When we don’t know; that’s gonna depend on whether or not he’s willing to waive extradition. And we’ll let everything else pretty much unfold in the courtroom with regard to both defendants.”

Police upgraded the reward for information leading to Belnavis’s capture to $10,000 on Monday. Belnavis was considered armed and dangerous, police warned.

Chasity and Zella Nunez were found shot in a parked car after police received reports of gunshots in area of Lisbon Street and Englewood Avenue around 3 p.m. last Tuesday. Both were transported to a local hospital before being pronounced dead.

A day later, police reported they arrested Mangual in connection with the shooting. Mangual pleaded not guilty to armed assault to murder and carrying a firearm without a license and was ordered held without bail Thursday.

Belnavis was identified as a second suspect later Wednesday night.

Police obtained surveillance footage showing two people walking towards the Nunezs in their car and start shooting, according to court documents reported by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. The suspects then run back towards a white sedan police say Belnavis had been borrowing, the documents state, and the vehicle was later found in Hartford, Connecticut.

Saucier praised the collaboration between the Worcester Police Department, U.S. Marshals, Massachusetts State Police and law enforcement in San Diego, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine, among others.

Police tracked Belnavis across several states with law enforcement technology, tip, communication and “shoe leather police work,” officials at the press conference said.

Officials did not give much detail regarding the arrest, but said the suspect was located in the area of the San Diego Zoo and had an altered appearance from pictures. Though he was “close” to Mexico, the police chief said he couldn’t speculate whether he was trying to flee the country.

The family was notified before the media Monday night, officials said, and were “grateful” for the work put into catching the suspect.

Chasity Nunez was a “force to be reckoned with; incredibly dependable,” an obituary for the mother and daughter reads, and worked with the Connecticut National Guard and as a Patient Safety and Clinical Quality Coordinator at MIT University. Zella Nunez, a sixth grader at Columbus Park School, was an “optimistic and creative soul,” “kindhearted” and did painting, singing, dancing and skating, according to the obituary.

“I’m very proud of all of the men and women in Worcester Police Department, the City of Worcester and all of the agencies for the work that they’ve done,” said Worcester City Councilor Kathleen Toomey. “I think it’s incredibly important now that we pray for the family so that they are able to have some closure, some peace and some healing as we move forward.”