The son of a Brooklyn woman found dead in her apartment tracked down her husband and blocked traffic to prevent him from getting away, allowing police to take the man into custody and later charge him with murdering the beloved pre-K teacher, law enforcement sources and the victim’s family said.
Maria Ines Granda’s lifeless body was discovered with head trauma inside her apartment on 79th St. in Bay Ridge around 9:30 a.m. Monday, cops said Her husband, 47-year-old Mauricio Granda, was arrested in Sunset Park later that day, police sources said.
He was charged late Tuesday with murder in his wife’s death, cops said.
The grisly discovery was made after the victim’s son requested a wellness check when his mother, 59, didn’t show up for her job as a pre-kindergarten teacher Monday, he told the Daily News in an exclusive interview.
“She’s a teacher, so she’s well loved by the community,” the victim’s son, Fortino Vasquez, said. “The students were already asking for her Monday.”
Vasquez, who keeps in daily contact with his mother, said he grew concerned after not hearing from her over the weekend.
”I was supposed to go see her Sunday, and that’s why it was strange when she wasn’t answering my calls and messages, but I just figured maybe she was tired or she was busy,” Vasquez said. “On Monday morning I sent her a ‘good morning’ message and was hoping to hear back from her, and told her to call me when she has a chance.”
When her school called and said she had not shown up for work, Vasquez immediately contacted police requesting a wellness check, he said.
Detectives reached out to him later that day asking if he could meet them at his mother’s apartment, where he was informed of her fate. Vasquez said he then told investigators to look for his stepfather, who had likewise fallen out of contact that morning.
“When [the school] contacted him, it would just go straight to voicemail. So that’s the only reason why I suspected him,” Vasquez said. “It wasn’t for anything in the past related.”
The suspect’s whereabouts remained a mystery until the victim’s son drove to his stepfather’s former apartment in Sunset Park on a hunch Monday, Vasquez said.
“Something told me to head there,” Vasquez said. “When I approached 52nd Street, that’s when I I recognize my mom’s car and, as I get closer, I see that he’s inside,” Vasquez said.
The victim’s son called the detectives before slowly pulling up beside his mother’s blue electric car, which was parked on the street. As he was on the phone with detectives, a patrol unit pulled up and told him to move, Vasquez said
“I was blocking traffic, and cars were honking. But I wanted to stay put,” Vasquez said. “Once the detectives got there, they told me to move more forward, like to block him so he couldn’t escape. And that’s when I came side-by-side with him, and I just blocked him.”
Vasquez said his stepfather didn’t appear happy to see him.
“His windows were rolled up. I didn’t say anything to him. I just looked at him. We made eye contact,” Vasquez said. “He’s always very friendly with me. But this time it just, I don’t know. It’s just something very different.”
The victim, whose maiden name is Maria Ines Sanchez, earned her U.S. citizenship after emigrating from Mexico, where most of her family lives, her son said.
“She was very, very full of life,” said Vasquez. “And anybody has ever met her, they know she’s very nice, caring.”
Maria studied at Touro College after earning her GED, before going on to work as a teacher in NYC Schools Head Start program.
“It’s been years since she’s in there, so I know there’s a lot of students that are already well grown,” her son said.
The victim and her husband married about 10 years ago, according to Vasquez, who said he wasn’t aware of any history of violence in their relationship.
A worker at the victim’s building said he never would have suspected here husband.
“They were a loving couple,” said the worker. “I would never guess he would do such a thing.”
Though Mauricio was spotted leaving the apartment with the couple’s dog, a golden doodle named Canelo, the pooch wasn’t with the suspect when he was captured and the victim’s son is desperate to find him.
“She treated him like her child, and she’s very caring with the dog,” said Vasquez. “She loves him very much. She’s very attached to the dog.”