Arrest made in death of 51-year-old Queens woman found in duffel bag near home

By Eric Levenson, Mark Morales and Dakin Andone, CNN

Updated 2:20 PM ET, Thu April 21, 2022

(CNN) -- A 44-year-old man was arrested Thursday in the death of 51-year-old Orsolya Gaal, who was found over the weekend inside a duffel bag in Queens, the New York City Police Department said.

David Bonola faces charges of second-degree murder, first-degree criminal tampering and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said in a news conference. He is expected to be arraigned later Thursday.

Bonola made a confession to police after he was arrested, a law enforcement official previously said. In Thursday's news conference, Essig said Bonola had made "incriminating statements." ... The investigation remains ongoing, and there are no outstanding suspects, Essig said.

Based on the preliminary investigation, authorities believe Gaal and Bonola, a handyman employed by her family, had an intimate relationship, police said at the news conference. The relationship had been "on and off" for about two years, police said, and was "considered at an end" when Gaal was killed early Saturday morning.

Investigators have determined Gaal attended a show Friday night and returned to her home in the Forest Hills neighborhood around 12:20 a.m. Saturday, Essig told reporters.

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