Cops Hunt For Man Wanted In East Village Murder

While ringing up food at a grocery store in New York's East Village on Feb. 29, 2008, cops say Tina Negron was confronted by her ex-boyfriend James Gonzalez, with whom friends and family members say she had broken up some days before. The pair had dated sporadically for a year, they say.

Co-workers say Gonzalez worked at the store, Key Food on Avenue A, as a stock clerk, and sometimes slept in the basement. Cops say in the late 1990's, he spent two years in prison for beating his mother with a stick in her apartment.

When he came into the store that day, police say  he threatened to hurt Tina Negron.  Fearing for her safety, she grabbed her cell phone and went upstairs to the store office to call police. 

What she didn't know is that James Gonzalez wasn't far behind.

Attack Caught On Camera

Police say surveillance video caught Gonzalez as he went after Tina on her way to the manager's station. Gonzalez put on gloves, police say, grabbed a butcher knife from the basement and followed Tina into the store office. 

Police say in a matter of four seconds, Gonzalez has slashed his ex-girlfriend to death.  Meantime, her best friend, another store employee named Rosheda tried to intervene.  Rosheda tried to save her friend's life, but was unable.  Rosheda was also stabbed multiple times.

Police say after the attack cameras caught Gonzalez as he calmly walked out of the store waving the knife in his right hand.  He headed south along Avenue A, where police say he dropped the large knife onto the street.

Tina was rushed to the hospital and died two hours later at Beth Israel Medical Center.

Inside the Manhunt

AMW has discovered major clues about James Gonzalez.  Police say he is a former alcoholic and drug addict, who regularly attends AA and NA meetings.  He's an avid hand ball player, and loves to work out.

What's more - police believe Gonzalez is obesessive compulsive.  Cops say when they went to his apartment they found all of his clothes neatly arranged in drawers.  They also found a collection of pornography -- and soap and toilet paper -- all meticulously arranged.

Gonzalez has worked odd jobs in the past -- including working at a bakery in Binghamton, New York.  He has also been homeless before and police say he can live on very little.  Police also learned that on the day of the murder, he cashed his paycheck, so he had more than $300 cash in his pocket to go on the run.

AMW Capture #988

James Gonzalez Grabbed In Miami

Miami-Dade police found the man they say is James Gonzalez -- sleeping like a baby inside the Salvation Army lodge on NW 38th Street in Miami.
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Less than 48 hours after we brought you the horrifying story of James Gonzalez -- the accused New York Supermarket Slasher -- your tips landed him behind bars.

Late in the afternoon on Monday, March 31, 2008, America's Most Wanted producers received a tip that a man calling himself James Gonzalez had been staying at a Salvation Army homeless shelter in Miami, Fla.

The tipster told AMW the man checked himself into the long-term Salvation Army program on Friday, March 28 and provided workers there with a Social Security number and a date of birth. He also had his photo taken as part of the admission process. 

After we showed you the story of Gonzalez and the gruesome New York City murder he is accused of committing, our tipster told us the man calling himself James Gonzalez became fidgety and nervous.  It turns out, Gonzalez had been staying at a salvation army in Connecticut.  People from that facility had referred Gonazalez to the Miami shelter when he said he was heading south.  Once they saw him on AMW, they called the Miami shelter and inquired whether Gonzalez had checked in.

Then, on the morning of March 31, Gonzalez checked himself out of the program and asked for a referral to another Salvation Army location located just a few miles away.

As soon as AMW received the lead on Monday, we coordinated the U.S Marshals in Miami and detectives from the NYPD's 9th Precinct. Investigators immediately confirmed that the Social Security number and the birth date the man provided at the shelter matched those of their murder suspect.

The team worked together, and shortly before 8 p.m., Miami-Dade police found the man they say is James Gonzalez, sleeping like a baby inside the Salvation Army lodge on NW 38th Street in Miami.

On Oct. 21, 2008, Gonzalez pleaded guilty and faces 20 years to life behind bars.