Police have released the names of a mother and son found dead in an apartment in Gravesend, Brooklyn on Monday evening.
Cops and firefighters arrived at the address on Quentin Road to investigate an apartment after a 911 caller specified that there could be people unconscious inside.
Once firefighters broke into the apartment, they found the badly decomposed bodies of Zinaida Vinnitskaya, 76, and her son Vladislav Vinnitskiy, 38. One of body was found near a couch while the other was found on a bed, police said.
The Daily News reported that Vinnitskaya had what appeared to be cuts on one of her legs.
A putrid stench extended throughout the third floor of the building on Tuesday as police worked to seal the apartment door and remove any last remaining evidence.
Neighbor Nataliya Polizzi said the mother and son mostly kept to themselves, except for an evening a few weeks ago when Vinnitskiy unexpectedly knocked on Polizzi’s door with wine and pizza.
“It’s the first time. Before he never said hello, never,” she said.
The smell became noticeable a few days ago, according to Polizzi. She didn’t know who had called the police.
Amelia Cekic, the building superintendent, said the mother and son had lived together in the apartment for more than 10 years.
“I was as surprised as everybody else was,” she said about the deaths. “All I heard yesterday was that there was a smell coming from that apartment.”
“It’s a tragedy, but who knows. Yesterday I was on pins and needles, because I heard there was a smell and knowing that smell, I’m sure there was somebody in there,” she said.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Wednesday that the cause and manner of death for both individuals needs further study, after they were initially examined on Tuesday.
This story has been updated with additional information.
