Woman stabbed to death; body found in Manhattan bathroom

CHINATOWN, Manhattan — A man followed a woman home, stabbed her to death and left her body in the bathroom of a Manhattan apartment early Sunday, police said.

Officers responded to a 911 call for a dispute at a Chrystie Street apartment around 4:20 a.m., officials said. When they arrived, a man was barricaded inside and they were unable to get into the apartment.

Members of the Emergency Service Unit responded and were able to gain entry, officials said. A man who was had not yet been identified was taken into NYPD custody. He’s believed to be in his 20s or 30s.

When officers searched the apartment, they found the body of 35-year-old Christina Yuna Lee, police said. She’d suffered multiple stab wounds. Sources said her body was in the bathtub.

Investigators determined that the man followed the woman to her home, officials said. He did not know the woman before the deadly incident.

Police sources said the man had seven prior arrests, including three from just last month for possession of a forged instrument and two for criminal tampering.

Mayor Eric Adams said he mourned the woman’s death.

“The NYPD is investigating this horrific incident, and I thank them for apprehending the suspect,” he said. “While the suspect who committed this heinous act is now in custody, the conditions that created him remain. The mission of this administration is clear: We won’t let this violence go unchecked.”

Neighborhood resident Sean O’Hara said the slaying was the worst thing he’d seen happen in the area in a while. “It’s scary because it happened, but it could happen anywhere,” O’Hara said. “The city right now is crazy, right now the city is uncontrollable.”

“There is no doubt that Asian American New Yorkers are being disproportionately targeted in these acts,” Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said.