An arrest has been made in the murder of Joseph Benziger, a 54-year-old gay man discovered by the motel cleaning crew .
Police have arrested 23-year-old Lleuyel Garcia, of Manhattan, in the murder of Joseph Benzinger at the Crown Motel in Elmhurst nearly two weeks ago.
Authorities say the men had a sexual relationship prior to the night of the murder and have known each other for several years. Garcia implicated himself in the murder when, according to authorities, he admitted that he was at the Crown Motel on the night of the murder.
A cleaning crew at the motel found Benzinger, a 54-year-old a former city sanitation worker, on Saturday, February 9. He had a shirt wrapped around his neck, likely used to strangle him, in addition to bruising on his neck and lacerations about the head and one of his hands. He was one of three gay men found dead over the last month in the city. Police are still searching for leads in the killings of the other two men.
The killing was brought into the spotlight when City Councilman Daniel Dromm held a press conference warning members of the gay community about the potential dangers of online dating. There was speculation that Benzinger’s murder and those of two other gay men in the city could have some connection however authorities have not yet been able to link the crimes in any way.
Garcia has been charged with murder, robbery, criminal possession of stolen property and tampering with physical evidence.
