Police arrested a 36-year-old Manhattan man hours after the 63-year-old woman was discovered near East Drive and East 74th Street.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — A 36-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder Sunday after a 63-year-old woman was found dead in Central Park, according to New York City police, who continued investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
Jonathan Robles of Manhattan was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, police said. Officers discovered the woman after responding at about 9:43 a.m. to a 911 report of an unconscious person near East Drive and East 74th Street. Emergency medical workers pronounced her dead at the scene. Her identity had not been publicly released as authorities worked to notify her family.
Police initially provided differing descriptions of the woman’s injuries as the investigation developed Sunday. Several reports citing police said she had suffered multiple stab wounds as well as trauma to her head or body. NBC New York later reported that investigators retracted an earlier statement describing the injuries as stab wounds and said the confirmed injury was head trauma. The New York City medical examiner’s office was expected to determine the cause and manner of death.
ABC News and WABC reported that police said the woman was 63. ABC News reported that authorities had not established a known relationship between Robles and the woman. CBS News New York reported that police had not determined a motive as of Sunday night.
The woman was found in or near a wooden gazebo in the area of the park near the Boathouse, according to local reports. Police and crime scene investigators remained in the area Sunday as heavy rain from a nor’easter affected New York City and the surrounding region. Authorities had not publicly detailed what evidence investigators recovered from the scene.
Robles was taken into custody later Sunday and police announced the charges that night. NBC New York reported that an address listed for Robles on West 36th Street is the location of a homeless shelter. Police also believed the woman may have been experiencing homelessness, according to NBC New York. Authorities had not publicly described how investigators identified Robles as a suspect or what led to his arrest.
A man interviewed by CBS News New York said he knew the woman from seeing her in the park and said she often stayed at the gazebo. Other visitors interviewed near the scene expressed concern about the death and said they generally regarded Central Park as a safe place. Police did not immediately release additional information about the woman’s background.
The discovery prompted a large police response in a heavily visited section of Central Park. Early reports said investigators were examining the circumstances as a death investigation, with some details about the woman’s injuries changing as authorities gathered information. By Sunday night, police had announced Robles’ arrest and the murder charge.
The charge against Robles is an allegation, and the case will proceed through the criminal justice system. Authorities had not announced a motive or publicly established a relationship between Robles and the woman. The medical examiner’s findings and the victim’s identity remained pending as the investigation continued.
Author note: Last updated September 28, 2026.