A man from New York City has received a 25-year prison sentence for the murder of a woman four years ago, all while her two young children, aged 3 and 5 at the time, were present in the home.
This man, identified as 49-year-old Asun Thomas, was convicted for the fatal strangulation of Luz Miriam Perez, a 40-year-old woman, inside her residence back in 2019. The incident occurred on 187th Street in the Bronx, and Thomas was charged with first-degree manslaughter.
The tragic event took place before 8 a.m., and following the murder, Thomas fled the scene, leaving Perez's two children unattended for an entire day before the discovery of her lifeless body.
During this period, the children were forced to fend for themselves, and according to reports from the Daily News, they prepared peanut butter sandwiches while dealing with the challenging circumstances.
The discovery of Perez's body transpired after a passerby noticed the children banging on windows and calling for assistance.
As a significant development, Thomas voluntarily surrendered himself on Christmas Eve in 2019. The proceedings in court involved the testimony of Perez's son, now aged 9, who spoke out against Thomas in an effort to ensure that his late mother, who was previously acquainted with the assailant, would receive justice.
It's noteworthy to mention that prior to the tragic incident involving Perez, Thomas had been on parole since 2016 after serving a sentence for manslaughter dating back to 2000, where he was originally handed a 20-year term and had completed 16 years of it.