The city’s reward for leads on the murder of Karina Vetrano has increased to $35,000, police said, as cameras were put up Wednesday around the area of Howard Beach where she was killed.
Vetrano was strangled to death on Aug. 2 after she went for a jog near her home in Howard Beach.
Tuesday night’s increase is the third time the reward has been raised: It was first increased to $20,000 on Aug. 9 and then to $25,000 on Aug. 12. The new figure includes $10,000 from the mayor’s office, police said.
Vetrano’s family has also raised over $265,000 through a GoFundMe page, as of Aug. 24. The family originally said $100,000 from the fund would be given as an additional reward for information, but they raised that amount to $200,000 on Tuesday. The family had previously said the remainder of the funds will go to charity.
Three weeks into the investigation of Vetrano’s death, police have said there have not been any solid leads.
“We have no suspects. We’re not close to an arrest,” Bratton said last week.
Investigators have shifted their search beyond the Queens neighborhood to parts of Brooklyn.
While the investigation continues, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz’s office installed eight cameras around the perimeter of the park where Vetrano’s body was found. The park itself is federally-owned land, so cameras cannot be installed inside, a spokeswoman from Katz’s office said.
The cameras are part of a 34-camera installation, funded earlier this year with $1.2 million, the spokeswoman said. The other cameras are being placed in other parts of Queens.
“There is no doubt in my mind that these cameras are going to save lives and help restore a sense of security for the residents of the community who are still in shock over this heinous crime,” said city Councilman Eric A. Ulrich (R-Queens).
The cameras will be operated by the NYPD.
