Homeless shelter director killed in Wakefield by shelter resident

A Whitestone, Queens woman who served as director of a homeless shelter in Wakefield was shot and killed by a former shelter resident late Monday afternoon, the NYPD said.

The woman, identified as Ana Charle, 36, a Spain native who served as director of Project Renewal’s Bronx Boulevard, a homeless shelter at 4380 Bronx Blvd., was found with a gunshot wound to the head lying on the sidewalk in front of 4366 Bullard Avenue, according to police.

She was taken to Montefiore Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

The suspect, West Spruill, 39, of 8 E. 109th Street in Manhattan, was taken into custody and a firearm was recovered.

Charle served as director of the shelter serving 108 mentally ill men, many of whom suffer from addiction, since the it opened in 2013. She had been working there for a little over a year.

Spruill was charged with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon, according to the criminal complaint filed by Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson.

At about 5:45 p.m. April 27, Spruill allegedly shot Charle multiple times with a loaded firearm, according to the complaint.

A black .40 Smith & Wesson MMP handgun from Spruill’s black shoulder bag was recovered from the scene, the complaint said.

The investigation was ongoing, police said.

Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtoure@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.