A Bronx woman was charged Monday with second-degree murder and faces 25 years in prison for fatally shooting her ex-girlfriend outside a Brooklyn deli in a mid-day ambush caught on surveillance video.
According to the investigation, on April 21, at approximately 1 p.m., the defendant, Latisha Bell, 39, of Grand Concourse, allegedly approached Nichelle Thomas, 52, from behind as she entered a deli at the corner of Saint Marks Place and Fourth Avenue in Park Slope and fatally shot her once in the back of the head.
A few hours after the murder, Bell turned herself in at the 78th Precinct where police recovered the .38 caliber revolver she allegedly used in the shooting.
She was held without bail and will return to court July 19.
Thomas was a mother of two and a grandmother who was in graduate school to become a social worker. She was also a prominent and active member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Clinton Hill.
“This broad-daylight shooting tragically cut short the life of a beloved mother and a treasured member of a local neighborhood and faith-based community,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “The horrific violence this defendant allegedly committed was shocking and senseless. I encourage anyone experiencing violence or abuse at the hands of an intimate partner or a former partner to contact the trained counselors of our Victim Services Unit at 718-250-3820.”
