Syracuse Police have arrested 23-year-old Victoria Afet in connection with the homicide of 93-year-old Connie Tuori, who was found dead in her Skyline apartment about three weeks after her death, according to police.
Afet is on video following Tuori into her home in Skyline Apartments, according to police. In a virtual arraignment, Afet pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and first-degree robbery. If convicted of murder, she faces life in jail without parole.
“We all have to look at that for what we could have done to prevent this, but there are no questions that we provided you several examples of things that are concerning that we have to look to make sure that we are releasing the right people," said Kenton Buckner, the Syracuse police chief. "And think individuals that through their behavior are committing violent acts in our city - that’s who the jails were built for.”
On February 18, eight days before Tuori's death, Afet was charged with robbing and biting another woman in Skyline Apartments. Prosecutors said Afet was released without bail less than 24 hours later. That is one arrest in a string of them. According to the DA and police records, Afet has been arrested 10 times in the last year.
Bail laws said if someone is a repeat offender and causes physical injury, bail can be set. In the biting case, the district attorney said his office asked for bail to be set at $50,000.
“What is distressing to me that from 50 to zero indicates that one of us was seriously wrong, and I think we now know who it was that was wrong," said Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick.
Afet was arrested on February 28. She is accused of stealing a car and having drugs on her. Tuori’s body was found in her apartment 19 days later. Police entered on a welfare check, after her family hadn't heard from Tuori.
Police are familiar with Skyline Apartments. The city calls it “unfit for human habitation.” Police have been called to the building more than 500 times in the last six months.
“We have targeted location for the resources that we have at the city," said Buckner. "There’s no magic wand that we can waive that we can take over a facility and all of a sudden it goes from hell to Palm Beach, that’s not how things work. The tools that we have, we have been applying them to that location.”
In the past two and a half years, the city has issued numerous code violations to owner Green National, the firm operated by Tim and Troy Green. Complaints range from bad lighting to trash and water issues, bed bugs, and ceilings caving in. The city has ordered outstanding violations to be corrected by Friday. Officials tell us there will be a hearing with company representatives at City Hall on May 10.