On a Tuesday afternoon, the quiet of a Worcester, Massachusetts neighborhood was shattered by gunfire that would end the lives of 11-year-old Zella Nunez and her mother. On March 5, 2024, the young Black/African American girl and her 27-year-old mother, Chasity Nunez, were sitting in their parked vehicle on Englewood Avenue when they were tragically shot.
First responders arrived to find the mother and daughter inside the car with gunshot wounds and rushed them to a local hospital, but their injuries proved fatal. Zella was a bright and well-respected sixth-grade student who was known for being a high achiever with many friends.
The investigation into the shooting quickly identified two suspects, 28-year-old Karel Mangual and 27-year-old Dejan Belnavis. Surveillance footage from the area reportedly captured two men walking up to the vehicle and opening fire before fleeing in a white sedan. A witness was able to provide the license plate number of the getaway car, which authorities tracked to Hartford, Connecticut, where Belnavis was believed to have family.
Within days of the incident, the first suspect was in custody. Karel Mangual was arrested on March 7 and was initially charged with armed assault with intent to murder and carrying a firearm without a license. These charges were later upgraded to two counts of murder. The second suspect, Dejan Belnavis, remained at large for a short time, prompting a manhunt that extended across the country. He was apprehended in San Diego, California, on March 11 following a traffic stop.
Following their arrests, both Dejan Belnavis and Karel Mangual were indicted by a Worcester County Grand Jury on two counts of murder each for the deaths of Zella and Chasity Nunez. Belnavis was extradited back to Massachusetts to face the charges. Both men have since been held without bail as they await court proceedings.
