NYC woman charged with murder believed mom was possessed by demons, sources say

Charlene Novoa, 26, has been arrested and charged over the loss of life of her mom Silma Garcia.
Robert Mecea

A younger girl bludgeoned her mom to loss of life with a hammer of their Bronx residence as a result of she believed the mother was possessed by demons, police sources instructed The Submit.

Charlene Novoa, 26, was taken into custody at 2 a.m. Saturday, police mentioned.

She’s now charged with homicide in what the NYPD mentioned was a suspicious loss of life. 

The sufferer, Silma Garcia, 66, was discovered below her mattress in her Bronx condominium constructing on Friday evening, police mentioned.

Cops who responded to the sufferer’s residence discovered a grimy condominium suffering from trash, sources mentioned.

When detectives spoke to Novoa they seen scratches on her fingers and face, which she claimed had been self-inflicted, the sources mentioned.

Novoa instructed cops she hit her mother with one thing heavy, at which level cops took her into custody, the sources added. 

It was the sufferer’s son, Marcos — who additionally lives within the condominium — who mentioned Charlene instructed him she struck her mother with a hammer as a result of she was possessed by demons, the sources mentioned.

A preliminary investigation decided Garcia sustained head and physique trauma, the sources mentioned.

Surprised neighbors on Saturday had been conscious that Novoa had been charged with killing her mother — however not how.

One in every of Garcia’s upstairs neighbors tried phoning her when she noticed the crime scene. Judy Santiago, 66, mentioned she would see Silma Garcia on Tuesdays and have lunch along with her.

She was shocked to listen to one in all Garcia’s kids allegedly killed her.

“The son was actually sick and nervous,” Santiago mentioned. “The daughter was all the time very quiet.”

One other neighbor, Angela, who wouldn't present her final identify, mentioned her mom and Garcia had been good associates. 

“She used to come back over on a regular basis. They’d hangout and he or she’d assist my mother clear the closets and declutter,” Angela mentioned. “My mother would all the time let her know after we had additional meals for her.”

Angela and her mom had been calling Garcia for the previous two days, attempting to get her meals and see if she would be a part of her mom for a gospel service at close by Yankee Stadium. 

“We didn’t suppose nothing of it till this morning after we noticed the crime scene,” Angela mentioned. “If it was a stranger that killed her, that’s one factor, however her personal child, that’s loopy. Charlene was all the time quiet and didn’t exit, simply stayed inside and performed video video games.”

Novoa’s arraignment in Bronx Felony Courtroom was pending Saturday.