Brooklyn Woman Accused Of Poisoning Lookalike With Cheesecake, Stealing Her Identity
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A Brooklyn woman is accused of poisoning her lookalike with cheesecake, then stealing the victim's identity and other property.
Viktoria Nasyrova, 42, of Sheepshead Bay, faces a slew of charges, including attempted murder.
"This is a bizarre and twisted crime that could have resulted in the death of a Queens woman, whose only fault was that she shared similar features with the defendant. Offering a gift of a cheesecake, the defendant is alleged to have laced the dessert with a Russian drug and presented it to the unsuspecting victim," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement Wednesday. "Luckily, the Queens woman survived the poisoning. The defendant has been apprehended and now faces a long term of incarceration."
On August 28, 2016, Nasyrova visited the Forest Hills home a 35-year-old Olga Tsuyk, bearing cheesecake, according to authorities.
She and the victim look alike – both have dark hair, the same complexion and speak Russian.
After eating some of the cake, the Tsuyk started to feel sick and laid down. She allegedly remembered seeing Nasyrova sitting beside her before she passed out.
The next day, Tsuyk's friend discovered her unconscious in bed, wearing lingerie and with pills scattered around her -- as if she had tried to kill herself, authorities said. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.
"She tried to make like suicide," the victim told CBS News' 48 Hours.
When she returned home, the woman realized her passport and employment authorization card were missing, along with a gold ring and cash.
Homeland Security agents tested leftovers pieces of the cheesecake and confirmed it was laced with phenazepam, authorities said. The pills tested positive for phenazepam, too.
Nasyrova was arrested in Brooklyn on March 20, 2017.
Police recovered the victim's passport, employment card and ring, authorities said.
Nasyrova first came on the NYPD's radar last year, suspected of drugging men in Brighton Beach whom she met on dating websites and robbing them when they passed out. During that investigation, police discovered an international warrant for her arrest in the 2014 Murder of a woman in Russia.
"My mom in a grave and she's just enjoying life," the victim's daughter, Nadezda Ford told 48 Hours.
Investigators say Nasyrova fled Russia after the murder to Sheepshead Bay, where she was arrested in March. In an interview with 48 Hours from jail, Nasyrova denied trying to poison her friend.
"I know this young woman, I can tell you that I did not force her to eat it," she told 48 Hours through a Russian Translator.