Michele Hernandez-Vazquez was 21 when she was found dead of a gunshot wound in a Staten Island motel room on April 4, 2015. The location was the Cosmopolitan Motel; the shooting occurred during an incident witnesses described as a robbery gone wrong.

Witnesses say a man later identified as Unique Gray was with Hernandez-Vazquez in the room. A neighbor heard a gunshot, ran over and confronted Gray, who allegedly pointed a gun at that witness before fleeing. The witness provided information that helped investigators.

Police used surveillance footage and witness statements to identify and locate Gray. He was tracked to an Atlanta suburb and taken into custody; he was charged in connection with the shooting.