Video: NYC tenant behind on rent appears to shove landlord down steps to his death

A tenant who was reportedly behind on rent was charged with manslaughter after he allegedly pushed his landlord down the front steps of the New York City home he was renting when the landlord came to collect money.

The incident occurred in the borough of Queens, according to NBC’s New York affiliate WNBC, when Edgar Moncayo went to the home he owned Sunday afternoon to collect rent from a tenant who had fallen behind. Surveillance video shows Moncayo, 71, walk up six steps in front of the house, knock, and the tenant open the door.

Moments later, Moncayo appears to try to enter the home and a scuffle starts.

Moncayo can be heard telling his wife to call the police.

Police said that was when the tenant, 22-year-old Alex Garces, pushed the landlord down the brick steps to the concrete sidewalk below, according to WNBC. Garces is then seen walking down the steps, bypassing Moncayo who was laying on his back and not moving.

A man who left with the tenant comes down the steps, stops to check on Moncayo, and places his hands atop his head in apparent distress after bending over to check on Moncayo.

Moncayo was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Moncayo’s head hit the pavement so hard he suffered a traumatic brain injury, the station reported.

Garces was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter, in addition to second-degree assault. He was arraigned Tuesday, according to WNBC.

If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.