The Story

Norwood Grandma Killed With Hammer; Son Commits Suicide

The son of a Norwood grandmother found beaten to death with a hammer in her apartment, has reportedly taken his own life in a seedy E. Gun Hill Road motel.

Officers from the 52nd Precinct were called to 3525 Perry Avenue at just after 10:20 p.m., on Tuesday, June 25, to conduct a wellness check on longtime resident Magda D’Agostino, 64.

Upon entering her second-floor apartment, police discovered the woman’s lifeless body, which had suffered severe trauma. Police sources say a bloody hammer lay nearby.

Almost immediately, police began to search for her son, John Rodriguez, 39, a former English teacher at Queensborough Community College. Rodriguez reportedly had moved in with his mother about six months earlier.

Police would later report that an employee at the Friendly Motel, located at 1119 E. Gun Hill Road, entered a room on July 27 and discovered Rodriguez’ lifeless body. Officials say both his wrists were slashed and his death is believed to have been a suicide.

In a bizarre twist, as crime scene investigators collected evidence on Wednesday, a second investigation was being conducted in the normally quiet Perry Avenue building as police arrested resident Jason Tomczyk, 34.

Tomczyk was charged in the attempted robbery/ homicide a day earlier of Jonathan Sanchez, 23, who was shot to death outside of 1010 Hoe Ave.

Neighbor Ernesto Juarez called D’Agostino, “a very nice and kind lady,” but had few words with Rodriguez.

Juarez had not yet heard about Tomczyk’s arrest when he stated, “That’s kind of crazy because lots of people live here with their families and kids.”

The Perry Avenue building is a block away from where the bodies of a young woman and her uncle were found shot to death in an automobile on Jan. 16.

Jason Rivera, 30, and Jennifer Rivera, 20, were both shot one time in the head. Their killer remains at large.

The Stats

Find the latest crime statistics for your Bronx precinct here: 40th, 41st, 42nd , 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th.

52nd Precinct Crime Stats Through June 23