Roommate charged with murder for beating Brooklyn mom with hammer

A roommate with no criminal record was charged Thursday with brutally beating a Brooklyn mother to death with a hammer and leaving her two young children clinging to life, police said.

Liyong Ye, 47, taken into custody Wednesday afternoon moments after the carnage in the Sunset Park apartment was discovered, has been charged with murder, attempted murder, assault and weapons possession

Ye allegedly killed Zhao Zhao, 43, inside the apartment on 52nd St. near Fifth Ave. shared by the two families, plus another man.

Zhao’s 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter were also attacked and were rushed to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn then transferred to Bellevue Medical Center, where they are fighting for their lives.

Ye, covered in blood as he left the building, was busted by responding police officers and taken to Maimonides Medical Center, where he is undergoing a mental health evaluation. He has no criminal history in New York and police have yet to determine a motive.

“It was a horrific and senseless act of violence that took the life of a married mother of two,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said at a press conference shortly after the incident.

Video viewed by the Daily News showed two cops on the second floor of the building holding the bloodied children as they waited for an elevator.

“I don’t think we should wait,” an officer said as he held the girl’s limp body.

“Go! Go!” the male officer responded as he held the boy.

Both officers then raced toward a stairwell.

State Sen. Iwen Chu said that after the murder the suspect called the third roommate and told him to “Come pick up my son.”

When the roommate arrived he found the bloodied bodies and called 911.

Chu said Zhao’s husband lives and works out of state and returns to visit once a month, a common arrangement for immigrant families struggling to make ends meet.

Originally Published: Aug 24, 2023 at 7:27 am