Moment cops swoop on alleged serial killer in busy NYC street

15 July 2023 , 21:36

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The moment that plain clothes NYPD officers apprehended a serial killer on a crowded Midtown Manhattan street was caught on camera.

Rex Heuermann 59, was taken into custody and later charged with the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello over a decade ago.

He is also considered the prime suspect in the death of another woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes.

The arrest occurred close to his architectural offices, steps from where investigators say he made the phone calls in which he arranged to meet the victims for sex and also where he called and taunted the families of the deceased women.

Meanwhile, neighbors from the middle-class community where Heuermann lived for all of his life in Massapequa Park, close to where the victims' remains were found, have described him as a menacing figure whose home was avoided by children on Halloween.

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Rex Heuermann was named this Friday morning as the alleged serial killer who did the Long Island murders after a raid on his home (Alamy Live News.)

Heuermann was allegedly once kicked out of a Whole Foods for stealing oranges and owed thousands in back taxes. One neighbor, Nicholas Ferchaw, told the New York Times, "We would cross the street. He was somebody you don't want to approach."

The recently released video showing the arrest of Heuermann depicts him walking through a busy street at dusk during rush hour with a bag slung over his back.

He appears unaware that he's being pursued by police officers. Eventually, a group of officers stop and surround Heuermann.

The arrest occurred around 8:30 pm. A little over 12 hours later, he was arraigned on three first-degree murder charges in a Long Island courtroom.

One of the photos posted by Rex Heuermann on Tinder, via Suffolk County District Attorney (County Court of Suffolk County State of New York)

A long-time colleague of Heuermann told the Times that he spoke to the suspect on Thursday evening, noting that he was cracking jokes. "That must have been right before he left the office and they arrested him," Steve Kramberg told the Times.

Heuermann first became a suspect in March 2022 when detectives linked him to a pickup truck reported by a witness during one of the victims' disappearances in 2010. DNA recovered from a pizza crust he discarded matched evidence found on one of the victims, leading to his arrest.

After linking Heuermann to the pickup truck, prosecutors said investigators were able to also connect him to other evidence, including the burner cellphones used to arrange meetings with the slain women.

In recent months, Heuermann allegedly sought to keep tabs on the probe and "searched obsessively" on the internet for facts about the Gilgo Beach killings, including the names of women he's accused of killing, as well as podcasts and documentaries about the case, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Suffolk County police Commissioner Rodney Harrison stated, "They never stopped working and will continue to work tirelessly until we bring justice to all the families involved."

Heuermann was ordered to be held without bail, and his lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Investigators continue to search Heuermann's home.