A 36-year-old Manhattan man has been arrested on murder and weapons charges after a 63-year-old woman was found dead in Central Park on Sunday morning, authorities said.
Jonathan Robles was taken into custody and charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon as detectives investigate what led to the woman’s death.
Officers were called to the park at about 9:43 a.m. Sunday after someone reported an unconscious person near East Drive and East 74th Street. Police found the woman unresponsive near a gazebo off a walking trail.
Emergency medical personnel pronounced her dead at the scene.
Authorities said the woman had suffered significant trauma. Her identity has not yet been publicly released as officials work to notify her family.
The New York City medical examiner is expected to determine the official cause and manner of death.
Police have not announced a possible motive. Investigators also said there is currently no known relationship between Robles and the victim, leaving questions about what may have happened before she was found.
The discovery drew a large police response to the area as detectives examined the scene and worked to establish a timeline.
People familiar with the area described the woman as someone who was regularly seen around the gazebo. Moses Diaz, who said he knew her from the park, remembered her as a familiar and kind presence.
“You come any time and she’s there,” Diaz said, adding that she was “a sweet woman.”
The killing has also unsettled people who regularly use Central Park. Several parkgoers expressed shock that such a violent incident had occurred in an area they generally considered safe.
The arrest marks a significant development in the investigation, but several details remain unanswered. Police have not publicly explained what evidence led detectives to Robles or disclosed the circumstances surrounding the encounter.
The investigation remains active while authorities await the medical examiner’s findings and continue working to determine what led to the woman’s death.
