An ex-convict was taken into custody in connection with the death of a woman whose body was discovered inside a sleeping bag on a New York City street, authorities said.
Officers arrested Chad Irish, 55, on a charge of concealing a human corpse on Monday, July 8, after responding to a dispute complaint at East 27th Street and 2nd Avenue in the Kips Bay neighborhood, according to an NYPD statement shared with PEOPLE. According to police, as he was being taken into jail, a “disorderly crowd” formed and “became irate.”
Someone in the neighborhood suggested Irish, who uses a wheelchair, as a potential suspect, sparking the dispute. According to the site, police got security video showing a guy in a motorized wheelchair transferring the body of 31-year-old Jazmeen Williams on East 27th Street, where it was recovered inside a plastic bag next to numerous trash bags on Friday, July 5. When authorities opened the bag, they discovered Williams’ remains inside a sleeping bag.
In a video posted by Fox 5, an angry mob can be seen crowding the suspect as he is taken into jail on a stretcher, shouting profanities and presumably attempting to harm him before being transported away in an ambulance.
According to police, Irish was taken to a hospital in stable condition, and the investigation is still ongoing.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed Williams died from a gunshot wound to the head and ruled her death a homicide.
While Irish has not been charged with murder, police said they executed a search warrant at his residence, where they believe Williams was killed, according to PEOPLE. The outlet also stated that Irish has been in and out of prison, with 21 past arrests.
Irish’s criminal history extends back to 1985, with charges including robbery, assault, arson, and narcotics possession.
It is unclear whether Irish has entered a plea to the current accusation of concealing a human corpse or hired an attorney to represent him. Police haven’t said whether Irish and Williams knew each other. “He just threw my baby out like garbage,” the victim’s mother, Nicole Williams, told the Daily News. “This is evil.” “It’s so evil.”
As of Wednesday, July 10, the victim’s loved ones had contributed nearly $10,000 through a GoFundMe account put up to help cover burial expenses.
