Sept. 7, 2021 By Christian Murray
A 64-year-old Bronx man was indicted for murder last week for the brutal slaying of an attorney in the victim’s Jackson Heights law office in August.
Nando Perez, of East 165th Street, was arraigned Thursday on an indictment of murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon and faces 25 years-to-life in prison if convicted.
He is being held in custody and has been ordered to return to court on Oct. 12.
Perez allegedly went to Charles Zolot’s law office on 82nd Street, near 37th Street, at around 4:20 p.m. on Aug. 4 and stabbed the 65-year-old attorney approximately 20 times. Zolot’s body was found the following morning in his second-floor conference room.
The defendant was a former client of Zolot’s and the two had a disagreement, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.
Perez is believed to have killed Zolot because the attorney was unable to reverse a bank foreclosure on an East Elmhurst property he owned. He allegedly stalked Zolot for more than a year, and would often barge into his office screaming.
“This was a brutal killing that stunned the community,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.