Manhattan detectives have charged a man who allegedly pushed his mother to her death down an embankment in Riverside Park on Sunday afternoon.
Police said Miguel Duval, 22, of West 168th Street attacked his mother — Vianel Garcia, 44, of East 115th Street in East Harlem — near the intersection of Riverside Drive and West 165th Street at about 4:13 p.m. on July 14.
Officers from the 33rd Precinct rushed to the location after receiving reports of a serious assault.
Upon arrival, sources familiar with the investigation said, witnesses told the responding officers that Duval allegedly shoved Garcia down the grassy embankment. So far, the motive remains unknown.
Police report that Garcia suffered serious injuries as a result of the fall. EMS rushed her to Harlem Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Officers took Duval into custody at the scene for further questioning. Following questioning, he was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder.
An NYPD source said on Monday that Duval has one prior arrest on his record; he was picked up in the 33rd Precinct in June on a third-degree assault charge. The case did not involve his mother. Court records noted that Duval had been released on his own recognizance during a June 5 arraignment hearing before Judge Valentina Morales.
There were no prior domestic incidents in the NYPD records involving Duval, a law enforcement source said Monday.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and abuse from a partner, you can call the City’s 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-621-HOPE.
Updated on July 15 at 11:50 a.m.
