Police were warned about jogger's 'killer' two months BEFORE her death: Suspect, 20, identified in 911 call back in May is arrested after his DNA was found under the fingernails of woman beaten, raped and strangled
Police have named the suspect in the Karina Vetrano murder case as Chanel Lewis, a 20-year-old man from Brooklyn who was reported to them two months before her death.
Lewis was arrested at his mother's house in East New York, Brooklyn, on Saturday at 6pm, six months after 30-year-old Vetrano's death on August 2.
In May, a resident in Howard Beach, Queens, called 911 to report him acting suspiciously near Spring Creek Park where the jogger died.
He has 'several' court summonses for incidents in a bicycle track on the Brooklyn side of the park, which bridges Brooklyn and Queens, but police will not reveal what their nature was.
Detectives investigating Vetrano's death rediscovered a log of the call and tracked him down to take a DNA sample which they matched to tissue found under the 30-year-old's skin.
He has since made a number of 'detailed' statements about how he attacked her, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said on Sunday.
Lewis is due to be arraigned on Sunday or Monday.
The Vetrano family, who have maintained an active public profile since her death, have not yet responded to news of Lewis's arrest.
'After an extensive investigation with more than 250 leads, 715 investigation reports, numerous DNA searches, Lewis was identified,' Boyce said in a prepared statement at a press conference on Sunday morning.
While taking questions from reporters, he elaborated: 'We found a 911 call prior to the homicide of him being in Howard Beach.
'We had a member of community call to say he was a suspicious person which we get all the time.
'From that we had a profile. He does have a number of summonses, he has no criminal record,' he said. It's not clear what was done about the call at the time.
Police went to his home on Thursday to question him about the night in question and took a DNA sample.
It matched traces of previously unidentified DNA found beneath Vetrano's fingernails, signs she tried to fight him off as he attacked her.
A hand print left on her back also matched him as did DNA found on her cell phone. Detectives were still searching his home on Sunday as Chief Boyce spoke.
'Karina helped us identify is person, she had the DNA under her nails, touch DNA on her back and she had DNA on her cell phone.'
He would not be drawn on details of Lewis's mental state or social status but said he does not work and lives at home with his mother.
He is not thought to have ever met Vetrano before the August 2 attack, he said.
'He gave very detailed, incriminating statements. We don't believe he knew her at all. It appears to be a chance encounter.
'I don't think there was any stalking,' he said, adding the suspect's had described 'each step of the assault'.
Lewis had court summonses dating back to 2013 but authorities would not disclose what they were for. Chief Boyce did reveal that they related to behavior in the park, specifically the cycle track where he had been spotted in May.
'It's there where he received those three court summonses for various issues,' he said.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said Lewis was facing charges for murder and sexual assault.
'We're still doing a lot of the paperwork that needs to be done but we're satisfied we have a solid case that has been put together by everyone involved.'
They could no confirm whether familial DNA testing, which the Vetrano family had pushed for, played any role in the investigation.
Phil Vetrano, the jogger's father, was due to go running with her on the night she died but didn't because of an injury.
He and his wife have maintained an active public profile since their daughter's deaths in order to catch her killer.
They have not yet given their public response to Lewis's arrest. Chief Boyce said he would like to keep that 'between them' when asked how they reacted on Sunday.
Chief Boyce would not confirm whether a sketch issued of a potential suspect last year matched Lewis's appearance.
Lewis was arrested at his mother's house in East New York, Brooklyn, on Saturday at 6pm, six months after 30-year-old Vetrano's death on August 2.
In May, a resident in Howard Beach, Queens, called 911 to report him acting suspiciously near Spring Creek Park where the jogger died.
He has 'several' court summonses for incidents in a bicycle track on the Brooklyn side of the park, which bridges Brooklyn and Queens, but police will not reveal what their nature was.
Detectives investigating Vetrano's death rediscovered a log of the call and tracked him down to take a DNA sample which they matched to tissue found under the 30-year-old's skin.
He has since made a number of 'detailed' statements about how he attacked her, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said on Sunday.
Lewis is due to be arraigned on Sunday or Monday.
The Vetrano family, who have maintained an active public profile since her death, have not yet responded to news of Lewis's arrest.
'After an extensive investigation with more than 250 leads, 715 investigation reports, numerous DNA searches, Lewis was identified,' Boyce said in a prepared statement at a press conference on Sunday morning.
While taking questions from reporters, he elaborated: 'We found a 911 call prior to the homicide of him being in Howard Beach.
'We had a member of community call to say he was a suspicious person which we get all the time.
'From that we had a profile. He does have a number of summonses, he has no criminal record,' he said. It's not clear what was done about the call at the time.
Police went to his home on Thursday to question him about the night in question and took a DNA sample.
It matched traces of previously unidentified DNA found beneath Vetrano's fingernails, signs she tried to fight him off as he attacked her.
A hand print left on her back also matched him as did DNA found on her cell phone. Detectives were still searching his home on Sunday as Chief Boyce spoke.
'Karina helped us identify is person, she had the DNA under her nails, touch DNA on her back and she had DNA on her cell phone.'
He would not be drawn on details of Lewis's mental state or social status but said he does not work and lives at home with his mother.
He is not thought to have ever met Vetrano before the August 2 attack, he said.
'He gave very detailed, incriminating statements. We don't believe he knew her at all. It appears to be a chance encounter.
'I don't think there was any stalking,' he said, adding the suspect's had described 'each step of the assault'.
Lewis had court summonses dating back to 2013 but authorities would not disclose what they were for. Chief Boyce did reveal that they related to behavior in the park, specifically the cycle track where he had been spotted in May.
'It's there where he received those three court summonses for various issues,' he said.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said Lewis was facing charges for murder and sexual assault.
'We're still doing a lot of the paperwork that needs to be done but we're satisfied we have a solid case that has been put together by everyone involved.'
They could no confirm whether familial DNA testing, which the Vetrano family had pushed for, played any role in the investigation.
Phil Vetrano, the jogger's father, was due to go running with her on the night she died but didn't because of an injury.
He and his wife have maintained an active public profile since their daughter's deaths in order to catch her killer.
They have not yet given their public response to Lewis's arrest. Chief Boyce said he would like to keep that 'between them' when asked how they reacted on Sunday.
Chief Boyce would not confirm whether a sketch issued of a potential suspect last year matched Lewis's appearance.
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