Crime & Safety

Suspect In Forest Hills Mom's Murder Is Arrested, Police Say

David Bonola, a 44-year-old Queens resident, was charged with murder in the brutal stabbing of Orsolya Gaal at her Forest Hills home.

David Bonola, a 44-year-old Queens man, was charged with murder in connection with the brutal stabbing death of Orsolya Gaal at her Forest Hills home.
David Bonola, a 44-year-old Queens man, was charged with murder in connection with the brutal stabbing death of Orsolya Gaal at her Forest Hills home. (Google Maps)

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Orsolya Gaal, the Forest Hills mom found in a duffel bag with dozens of stab wounds, police said Thursday.

David Bonola, a 44-year-old South Richmond Hill resident, was charged with murder, criminal tampering and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

Few details were immediately available, but the New York Post reported that Bonola is the handyman who police believe had been in a romantic relationship with Gaal. Multiple outlets reported earlier this week that police were looking to interview him.

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Police are planning an 11:30 a.m. news conference at the 112th Precinct to share details about the arrest.

Gaal, a 51-year-old mother of two, was found early Saturday in a duffel bag about half a mile from her family's home, with a trail of blood leading back to the Juno Street residence, the New York Post reported.

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The violent nature of the attack — Gaal was stabbed 58 times in her neck, torso and left arm — had led authorities to believe she knew her attacker, according to multiple reports.

The case initially stumped authorities, who offered a $3,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer.

Gaal had attended a show in Manhattan near Lincoln Center hours earlier that night, then returned to Queens and headed to a bar near her home, according to the Daily News, which reported that authorities were scouring her phone records to determine whom she may have met up with.

Gaal's husband, Howard Klein, was away from the city at the time — but received a message saying "Your whole family is next," PIX11 reported.

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