NEED TO KNOW
Locals say the business had operated as a skincare spa and more recently as a massage parlor
The woman was found face down inside the store, where neighbors said the storefront’s windows were always covered
An individual was seen leaving the unit with a garbage bag, according to police
New York City authorities are investigating the stabbing death of a woman found naked inside a Queens storefront, a day after a complaint alleged the business was operating illegally as an adult establishment.
A woman was found with multiple stab wounds across her body inside a store in Queens, N.Y. on Friday, Nov. 6, the New York Police Department said in a statement.
According to NBC New York, the woman was found face down and without any clothing on her.
She had been stabbed in the head, Eyewitness News and NBC New York reported.
The medical examiner’s office has ruled her death a homicide and said she died from multiple sharp force injuries.
Neighbors told NBC New York that the storefront had previously housed a skincare clinic, which closed several years ago. More recently, the business appeared to advertise massage services.
The store advertised massage services at the time of the discovery, NBC New York reported.
“We never saw someone to go in for skincare,” Tayyab Ubaidi told the outlet.
“That business is always like closed, because all the windows are shut and it stayed like that for many years,” said Minah Lee.
According to government records cited by NBC New York, just the day before the body was found, the business had been reported to the Department of Buildings on an allegation of operating an adult establishment that was violating zoning laws.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Law enforcement sources described a man reportedly seen leaving the business with a garbage bag, according to Eyewitness News.
Authorities have not released the identity of the woman as of Monday afternoon, nor have they announced a suspect.
The investigation is ongoing.
Read the original article on People