Bronx: Homeless Shelter Director Gunned Down By Ex-Resident

Ex-con West Spruill hid in a parking lot waiting for his prey, Ana Charle, to walk to her car after her shift at the Project Renewal Shelter at East 237th Street and Bullard Avenue in the Bronx. It was just prior to 6 p.m. when 36-year-old homeless shelter director Charle reached her vehicle to head home to her family when the unthinkable happened.

Spruill suddenly confronted Charle, as reported by Pix 11, abducted her with a gun and began to force Charle into her car in order to sexually assault her. DNA Info reports Spruill forced Charle to undress while trying to take his own clothes off.

While Charle was fighting off her assailant, she was able to break free long enough to try and make a run for what she must have thought was assured freedom.

As Charle ran through the street naked, Spruill was not going to let her get away. He began chasing her until he decided to end the chase as he raised his.40-caliber handgun and shot Charle three times — once in the head, a second in her cheek, and the third in her chest.

Police tell CBS that Charle was pronounced dead soon after at Montefiore Medical Center.

In the meantime, Spruill made his way back to his car, put his clothes back on, and left the scene as if nothing had happened. Pix 11 reports that after searching the neighborhood, police found Spruill, who was still armed and arrested.

Spruill lived at the Project Renewal Shelter for seven months last year. It was during that time that he met Charle. Spruill moved to a different shelter in 2015, but was back on Monday stalking Charle.

A dangerous man for many years, Spruill has had several stints in prison and a criminal record dating back to 1993 for robbery, assault and an incident that remains “sealed,” as officials revealed to DNA Info.

The very next year, in 1994, Spruill was convicted of attempted murder and was sentenced to ten years in a New York prison. He had only been out of jail two years when Spruill was arrested yet again for a violent assault which put him back in the slammer for eight more years in Michigan.

Last month, Spruill was arrested once again for assaulting a man in Brooklyn, but he was arraigned and released the same day prosecutors reveal to DNA Info.

It has not been revealed as to why Spruill decided to attack and ultimately murder Ana Charle, who leaves behind her two precious daughters, a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old.

DNA Info reveals that Charle wanted to dedicate her career to making life better for others. She had moved to the shelter in the Bronx after the one she worked at previously became too dangerous. The staff at Project Renewal Shelter are devastated at losing someone they cared for very deeply, as they admitted to DNA Info.

“Ana was a dedicated, wonderful and loving person. She worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others. Ana exemplified the very best of Project Renewal and we are heartbroken by this senseless and tragic loss.”

Photo Credit: DNAInfo.com