Victim found lifeless in Bronx stairwell: Authorities suggest prolonged captivity and torment prior to victim's demise
A tragic incident unfolded in the Bronx on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, when 21-year-old Princesa Encarnacion-Soto was found dead in a stairwell of a Fordham Heights apartment building. The young woman's body bore severe and brutal injuries, including multiple stab wounds, puncture wounds, razor cuts, large lacerations, and signs of being beaten with a hammer.
The timeline of events suggests that Princesa had been held and tortured for over a week in the Bronx apartment of her boyfriend's mother, Naida Jorge. On the day of the discovery, around 3 p.m., Princesa was found with extensive injuries and was rushed to BronxCare Health System, where she was pronounced dead.
Immediately following the discovery, police identified Princesa's boyfriend, Robert Strother, 27, as a person of interest. Surveillance cameras captured Strother leaving the building, but he remains at large as of the latest reports.
Officers initially interviewed Naida Jorge, who was at the scene as a witness, but she became a suspect after a blood trail leading into her apartment was found. Further investigation revealed a garbage bag with blood-soaked clothes, and Jorge was seen attempting to discard it, raising suspicions of evidence tampering.
On July 24-25, Naida Jorge was arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter for allegedly helping her son cover up the crime by cleaning the scene and hindering the investigation. She was remanded at the Bronx criminal court.
Investigators believe that Strother tortured Princesa by tying her to a bed, stabbing, beating, and hitting her with a hammer. An autopsy revealed gruesome injuries, including a missing piece of a knuckle on her finger and slits in the skin under her feet, indicating extreme torture.
Princesa and Robert had a three-year relationship but reportedly broke up before the murder. The victim’s mother, residing in Rhode Island, expressed devastation publicly.
This remains an active investigation with the primary suspect, Robert Strother, still at large, and his mother, Naida Jorge, facing criminal charges for her alleged involvement in covering up the crime.
- The tragic incident involving Princesa Encarnacion-Soto in the Bronx raises concerns about mental health and general news, as the gruesome details of her murder are a stark reminder of the ongoing issue of domestic violence.
- The health-and-wellness sector, including BronxCare Health System, has become central to the ongoing crime-and-justice investigation in the Bronx, as they were the first to examine Princesa Encarnacion-Soto after her death, while police continue their search for the primary suspect, Robert Strother.
