Police are investigating a Brooklyn hammering death after neighbors in Bensonhurst reported hearing nearly half an hour of pounding, followed by a shouted insult, before a woman was found dead inside her apartment early on Aug. 1. The case has shaken the 64th Street block near 16th Avenue, where residents say the sounds began long before dawn and ended only shortly before the body was discovered.
The woman was identified by family as Erika Miranda-Tlacua, 40. Police said she was found shortly before 4 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS. Detectives were later seen moving in and out of the house with evidence bags, while officials said there were no arrests and no suspect description as of Thursday.
One neighbor, who gave his name as A.L., said the apartment had been active earlier in the night. He said there was music and people singing around 12:15 a.m., and that it stopped around 2 a.m. After that, he said, the hammering began. He described hearing what he believed was about 30 minutes of steady pounding, starting with a strong blow, and then a voice yelling, βFβk you!β when it ended.
Another resident said the discovery left the block unsettled. She said the news had shaken her and described the scene as upsetting, saying that the apartment was empty except for the deceased woman when police arrived. A UPS driver who identified himself as Ronald said he was surprised when he later learned what had happened at the two-story building, adding that he had seen police in the area but did not know the reason until he checked social media.
