Suspect in murders of mom, daughter to be returned to Worcester to face charges after Calif. arrest

WORCESTER, Mass. — The suspect in the shooting deaths of a mother and daughter in Worcester last week will be returned to Massachusetts to face upgraded murder charges after he was captured in California last night, law enforcement officials said.

Dejan Dante Belnavis, 27, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in San Diego after a dayslong manhunt that also involved Massachusetts State Police and the Worcester Police Department, according to authorities.

Dejan Dante Belnavis arrested in California

“This is a great example of when local law enforcement, federal partners, and state police come together for a successful conclusion,” Worcester’s Interim Police Chief Paul Saucier said.

Officers are in the process of traveling to California to transport Belnavis back to Worcester, where the Worcester District Attorney’s Office says he’ll be arraigned on murder charges in the deaths of Chasity Nunez and her 11-year-old daughter, Zella. A court date has not yet been announced.

A second suspect in the murders, 28-year-old Karel Mangual, was arraigned Thursday on charges of armed assault to murder and carrying a firearm without a license. However, officials announced Mangual, who is currently being held without bail, will be back in court Tuesday to upgrade those charges to murder.

Both Belnavis and Mangual have lengthy criminal histories, court documents showed.

The bodies of Chasity and Zella were discovered in a white, bullet-riddled SUV that was parked in the area of Englewood Avenue in the Columbus Park neighborhood of Worcester. Court documents indicated that neither was breathing or had a pulse when police arrived.

Sgt. Sean Murtha, Public Information Officer for the Worcester Police Department, said a “fairly high number” of shots were fired into the vehicle.

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‘Destined for success’: Mom killed in Worcester was decorated National Guard member, healthcare pro

Chastity Nuñez was a member of the Connecticut National Guard and received honors like the National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Army Achievement Medal. Nuñez also served as a Patient Safety & Clinical Quality Program Coordinator at MIT Health since July 2023.

“Chasity was beloved by her fellow Soldiers in the 142nd Medical Company. Her wit, social nature, and dedication to duty made her one of the best Soldiers in our unit,” National Guard spokesperson Major David Pytlik told Boston 25. “I cannot begin to make sense of why this happened and why her family, friends, co-workers, and fellow Soldiers have been robbed of her and Zella. What we can, and must do now, is support one another as we grieve, process this profound loss, and honor their memory.”

Zella was a student at Worcester Public Schools.

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