95yo Brooklyn woman charged with murder after she beats her wheelchair-bound roommate to death

A 95-year-old woman has been charged with murder after police say she killed her 89-year-old roommate at a Brooklyn nursing home. Galina Smirnova was arrested Tuesday and arraigned Wednesday on charges of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

The deadly attack happened at the Seagate Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Coney Island on Sunday night around 10:30 PM. Nina Kravtsov, the victim, was found in her bed covered in blood with severe head injuries. She was rushed to NYU Langone Hospital where she died from blunt force trauma early Monday morning.

According to court records, obtained by People, nursing staff discovered Smirnova in the bathroom washing blood from her hands and legs while wearing a bloody hospital gown. Police found that Smirnova had used metal wheelchair parts to beat her roommate to death. One bloody foot pedal was on the floor while the other had been thrown out a window.

Questions raised about nursing home supervision

The case has raised serious concerns about patient safety and supervision at the facility. Both women reportedly suffered from dementia, but Smirnova had only been admitted to the nursing home just two days before the attack. The women were the only occupants of the room they shared.

Randy Zelin, an attorney representing Kravtsov’s family, criticized the nursing home for placing a new dementia patient alone with an existing resident. “You gotta be kidding me, you don’t leave a dementia patient alone in a new place, in new surroundings,” he said. Zelin added that patients with dementia can sometimes experience unpredictable fits of rage.

The victim, Nina Kravtsov, was a Holocaust survivor from Ukraine who had been living at the facility since 2020. Her daughter, Lucy Flom, who lives in Florida, expressed devastation over the loss. “I just thought it was a dream, I was going to wake up and everything would be okay,” she told reporters. Such tragic incidents involving elderly victims are unfortunately becoming more common in care facilities across the country.

The nursing home has faced scrutiny in the past, with records showing more than 100 complaints since 2021 and 39 fines totaling $204,836 in the last three years. Brooklyn City Councilmember Justin Brannan called the incident “deeply disturbing” and demanded answers about supervision and staffing at the facility. The case highlights broader concerns about violence in nursing homes, similar to other shocking true crime cases that have surprised investigators nationwide.

Smirnova was held without bail after her arraignment. Her Legal Aid attorney opposed a mental health examination requested by prosecutors, asking for more time to gather medical history. The judge recommended she be held at Bellevue Hospital. At 95 years old, Smirnova may be among the oldest people ever charged with murder in New York City. She is due back in court on Friday.