Search For Answers After 91-Year-Old Nicholas Rappa Found Dead After Being Tied Up, Beaten, Possibly Suffocated In His Bronx Garage
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are continuing to investigate after a 91-year-old man was found dead, tied up inside his garage in the Bronx.
Now officers are looking for a man who was seen at the house wearing a construction vest.
As CBS2's Natalie Duddridge reports, neighbors are still stunned that 91-year-old Nicholas Rappa was found unconscious, bound by an electrical cord inside nice garage.
"I can't imagine how can someone do this to an elderly man," said Melanie Ang.
"It's heartbreaking, especially this gentleman. He's been here forever. We used to watch him take a look at his garden. He's an Italian guy with a garden - grapes and stuff like that," a man named Mario said.
Officers say a white truck was spotted circling the area. They are looking to question a man who was apparently wearing an orange construction vest and was seen talking to the 91-year-old, then going inside the garage.
Officers are looking at robbery as a possible motive, but it's not clear what, if anything, was taken.
"Now I feel nervous because I take that way every day," one person said.
Police say Rappa's wife - also in her 90s - was home upstairs at the time and was not harmed.
Officers are still waiting on autopsy results to determine the exact cause of death.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.