The bodies of 14-year-old Alanche Delorbe and 51-year-old Marisol Ortiz were found just before 4 p.m. Sunday on East 185th Street in the Belmont section.
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Authorities say Ortiz was found lying on the floor with severe head trauma and one stab wound to the head, while Delorbe was found in a bedroom with head trauma.
Police say Ortiz also had ripped-up dollar bills on her body.
A large bloody barbell was found near both of their bodies that police believe was the deadly weapon.
Investigators had said they were searching for the mother's boyfriend, 52-year-old Hector Cruz, as a person of interest in the case. They believe a man who may have jumped in front of a train in Westchester County is Cruz, but official confirmation is pending.
Police say Ortiz did not show up to work on Sunday, so a coworker called a family member who then made the horrifying discovery.
A knife was also found in the apartment, and investigators are trying to determine if it was used in the murders.
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"I'm very scared, trying to stay calm," a family member said. "He was my cousin. So we're just trying to figure out what's going on."
The Medical Examiner has yet to determine the causes of death.
A makeshift memorial was set up at the scene by friends of the baseball-loving Delorbe, who would have turned 15 on Monday. They brought flowers and candles and balloons to honor their classmate.
"A good student, he was a good student," teacher Bianell de la Cruz said. "He's a good kid who wanted to be a good kid, and he's no longer around us."
Friends remembered a fun-loving teenager with an infectious smile who loved to dance.
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"He never really opened up about his personal life," said friend and schoolmate Diannibel Cedano. "He never let us know that perhaps he was suffering a great deal."
Police say Ortiz's 22-year-old daughter discovered the bodies inside the family's third floor apartment.
"It breaks my soul," said 75-year-old neighbor Maria Rosa, who often chatted with the teen outside their building.
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