Tiliek Thompson, 41, was charged with killing Lovay Williams in front of her 7-year-old daughter.
Relatives of the victim hollered at Thompson as he passed by them and had to be restrained by a police barricade.
Williams was found dead at home last weekend with trauma to her face and neck. She was 27.
Relatives say she and Thompson had been dating.
Police said Williams was found unconscious and unresponsive inside her apartment on 156th Street. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Loved ones described the violence as senseless.
"He's the devil," the victim's father said. "Anytime you'd kill a young female in front of her- anytime you put your hands on a woman - you a piece of garbage."
Domestic violence activists joined the vigil, urging greater awareness.
"It's a silent killer that is killing women on the regular and it's the signs we need to understand," said Stephanie Mcgraw, founder of WARM.
Relatives remembered Williams as a caring single mother.
"Very attentive to her child. Best mom in the world," her brother said. "It's just sad and unfortunate that this happened to my sister."