Missing Staten Island Mom Jeanine Cammarata's Estranged Husband, Girlfriend Charged With Murder
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The estranged husband of missing mother and teacher Jeanine Cammarata has been charged with murder in the second degree after officials positively identified her "charred and unrecognizable" remains.
Michael Cammarata, 42, and his girlfriend Ayisha Egea, 41, both face murder charges in the case. They are also charged with concealment of a human corpse and tampering with physical evidence.
Michael Cammarata left the 120th Precinct Friday in a white jumpsuit and shackles.
On Thursday morning, police discovered burned human remains inside a storage facility on Arden Avenue on Staten Island.
READ: Criminal Complaints Against Michael Cammarata And Ayisha Egea
Michael Cammarata was arrested Wednesday on assault and stalking charges after sources say he admitted to hitting her. He had been held in custody while officials attempted to identify Jeanine Cammarata's remains.
"The investigation into the disappearance of Jeanine Cammarata is now officially a murder investigation," NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said on Twitter.
Police say the two were captured on surveillance video removing the body in a bag from Cammarata's apartment.
An anonymous tip called in to Crimestoppers led authorities to his wife's body.
Police believe Jeanine, a 37-year-old mother of three, was killed at Ayisha Agea's Queens apartment then transported by van to the Staten Island storage facility, where they lined the unit with air fresheners to mask the smell.
CBS2 has learned exclusively that Cammarata is a United States Postal Service worker.
"It's a little scary, because the mailmen in my building have access to kind of the whole thing. They can get into the basement, they can get into my mail, and there's also not really anything limiting them from coming up to my apartment," said West Village resident Deanna Banovsky, who lives in a West Village apartment where Cammarata delivered mail.
"I sometimes leave my door unlocked to go gt laundry or something, so yeah, it makes me a little uncomfortable," she said.
Residents on Cammarata's route reacted to the news that the man they interacted with regularly is no charged with his wife's murder.
"It's terrible, horrible that people have to think so hard about just going out and saying hi," said West Village resident Dr. Lynne Parodneck. "So the kids are orphans, and you know what? That's the tragedy of it."
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Police still have not found Jeanine Cammarata's 2017 white Chevy Cruze with the license plate HSK8417.
The Cammarata children are in the care of the Administration for Children's Services.
Both suspects are expected to be arraigned this evening.
