Man arrested in 3 slayings at NYC senior housing project

Police have arrested a man in the unsolved slayings of three women in the same building at a New York City housing project for seniors

Senior Housing Killings Arrest (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Police have arrested a man in the unsolved slayings of three women in the same building at a New York City housing project for seniors.

Officials announced the arrest of Kevin Gavin on Thursday, about a week after a 78-year-old victim was found dead in her Brooklyn apartment, with a telephone cord around her neck. The building was the scene of two other killings of elderly women in 2015 and in 2019 that had sparked complaints about security.

Gavin, 66, who lived in the building where he was known to run errands for residents, was arrested after forensic evidence and witnesses linked him to the murders, the officials said.

The suspect “took advantage of his relationships with these women, was allowed into their homes and did unspeakable acts of violence against them,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said at a news conference.

Investigators believe the killings might have been related to disputes over money, police said.

It wasn’t immediately clear when Gavin would appear in court and if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

There were four new security cameras installed in the lobby of the building last year, police said. But a plan for 65 additional cameras in the complex was scrapped because of budget constraints, they added.