A Bronx woman was arrested Friday for allegedly placing her deceased 70-year-old roommate in a garbage bag instead of reporting the death to authorities, the New York Post reported.
Inga Bearden, 53, was caring for Margie Ann William-Collins in a luxury apartment they shared along with Bearden’s two teenage children, according to the New York Post. The four of them have lived in the apartment since October.
Bearden claims that she found William-Collins unresponsive while taking a shower in the bathroom Thursday.
She reportedly asked her 50-year-old husband, who lives in a different place, to help put William-Collins’ body in a black garbage bag.
She told authorities they did this because they were worried about lice, according to the New York Post.
Despite the arrest of Bearden, the police are still looking for her husband
Authorities have revealed that the victim was visiting family from Georgia. Her body was found without visible signs of trauma but the medical examiner is still determining the cause of her death.
The body was found after a concerned neighbor reached out to law enforcement, according to ABC 7.
“Like the way she was screaming … something was wrong like someone was injured or dying so I feel like I had to call police,” Alyssa Thurlby said, ABC 7 reported. “I feel sorry for their family because that’s not right.”
It is still unclear how William-Collins died but Bearden revealed to the police that the deceased had a habit of consuming silica gel packets, a substance typically deemed non-toxic, the New York Post stated.
