A new Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit claims building security in Kips Bay was so lax that two teenage squatters were able to slip into a vacant high-rise unit where prosecutors say a woman was beaten to death and stuffed in a duffel bag. The civil complaint, filed this week, targets the building’s management and seeks damages tied to the March 14, 2024 killing.
Owner says busted buzzer turned elevator into front door
The complaint, brought by apartment owner Michael Medvedev, names HS Three LLC and management company 443 Third Avenue LLC and accuses them of letting the property slide into a security mess, according to the New York Post. Court papers say the building’s front door, intercom and elevator-buzzer system were faulty, which allegedly created open access to the 19th-floor apartment. The suit says the unit had sat vacant for months and that building staff knew about the entry issues yet failed to fix them, according to filings cited by the Post.
What investigators say happened inside the Kips Bay unit
Police and prosecutors reported in March 2024 that the victim, identified in news reports as 52-year-old Nadia Vitels, went to the apartment to prepare it for family and never made it out, according to The Daily Beast. She was found two days later, on March 14, 2024, inside a duffel bag, with blunt-force trauma and multiple fractures.
Investigators say two teens, identified by police as Halley Tejada and Kensly Alston, had been squatting in the unit before the killing. Authorities allege the pair fled in Vitels’ Lexus, crashed the vehicle in Pennsylvania and were arrested after allegedly using her credit cards to make purchases, according to The Daily Beast.
Plea, sentencing and what is still unresolved
The New York Post reports that Tejada pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in December 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced in April 2026 to a term that could reach 20 years to life. Alston, who has been extradited, remains charged in the case.
The lawsuit says the building’s managers could not immediately be reached for comment. It asks the court to hold HS Three LLC and 443 Third Avenue LLC responsible for the security lapses alleged in the complaint.
Why this case is echoing in Albany
The suit lands amid an ongoing fight in Albany over how New York handles squatters and landlord-tenant enforcement. After the 2024 killing, lawmakers rolled out bills that would redefine squatters as trespassers and speed up eviction processes, according to CBS News.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys say this complaint is meant to highlight how neglected maintenance and broken security systems can have deadly consequences. Defense lawyers, for their part, are expected to focus on how far property owners’ liability should reasonably extend.
What comes next in court
The civil case is now pending in Manhattan Supreme Court and will move on a separate track from the still-active criminal proceedings. Upcoming filings, including court dockets and formal responses from the named management companies, are likely to determine whether the lawsuit advances into discovery or quietly settles before trial.
