A mystery man posing as a utility worker told neighbors he was “checking meters” in the Bronx before a 91-year-old man was found beaten to death inside a garage, police sources told The Post.
Police are now hunting for the suspect in the death of Nicolo Rappa, who was found bound and fatally beaten inside his garage at Wickham and Waring avenues on Tuesday afternoon.
The suspect, who was wearing a utility vest, approached Rappa around 12:40 p.m. outside his building and went into the garage with him — only to be seen leaving through the side of the building a half-hour later and fleeing in a white Ford pickup, the sources said.
Rappa was found by police a minute later — with his hands and feet bound and towels placed over his head.
Surveillance photos released by police Wednesday show the suspect wearing a yellow hardhat, a bright green reflective vest and a black mask outside the home.
Other images show the vehicle allegedly driven by the suspect, a white rental flat-bed truck that was parked outside, police said.
Rappa’s violent death stunned neighbors, who recalled the nonagenarian as a friendly local who lived with his 97-year-old wife.
The couple also had a tenant, an elderly woman whose son visits her often, locals said.
They said the woman’s son was making one of those visits when he saw the garage door open — and found Rappa unconscious when he went to check.
Neighbors said the Rappas’ daughter, who lives in Putnam County, had long sought to have them move in with her — but the couple loved their Bronx neighborhood too much.
“The daughter was devastated,” next-door neighbor Jeremiah John said Wednesday. “She was crying when they went inside the house. Her mother was in disbelief. She was like, ‘Oh, he made me breakfast this morning.'”
John said the victim’s wife had been unaware he had been killed — and that the couple’s daughter broke the tragic news to her.
Another neighbor, Paul, said Rappa “never kept large amounts of cash on him.”
“I know because I took him to buy stuff,” he said. “I helped with repairs around the house, like small things. I helped him to put the AC up. His car broke down he called me and I helped him out.”
“He was all about his yard and his garden,” Paul added. “He went to the store, came home and cooked for his wife.”
He said Con Ed subcontractors have been working on meters in the area. A spokesman for the utility company said Wednesday that the company did not have contractors working in the area.
“It has to be someone that was watching him, knows the neighborhood and knows he is alone with his wife,” Paul said of the elderly spouse, who rarely leaves the home. “I feel bad for his wife. It’s crazy.”
Another neighbor, Mario, said the utility workers in the area typically show ID, and said he has called their supervisors “to make sure you are who you say you are.”
“What I noticed is that predators have taken advantage of that,” he said. “So, if you are not aware of what is going on you gotta make sure who is knocking on your door.”
“It’s a sad thing that we have to be more vigilant and cautious,” Mario said. “Things are going on around us.”
Police are asking anyone with information on the suspect to contact the NYPD at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or call 800-577-TIPS.
