What to Know
- A Long Island woman has been indicted for allegedly murdering a man with a cooking appliance and then setting his home ablaze to cover it up
- Jennifer Gross, 54, was arraigned Thursday on charges including manslaughter, murder, burglary and arson, among other crimes
- She allegedly went to the home of an ex to ask for money and beat him to death when he refused; she also allegedly stole jewelry from him
A 54-year-old Long Island woman has been indicted for allegedly beating a man to death with a cooking appliance in his own home, then setting the house on fire to try to cover up the crime, prosecutors say.
Jennifer Gross was arraigned Thursday on charges including murder, manslaughter, burglary and arson in the Nov. 20, 2018 death of 75-year-old James Coppola. Gross and Coppola used to be romantically involved, and on that day, between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., Gross allegedly went to his Centre Island home to ask him for money. When Coppola refused, she allegedly beat him in the body and head with some sort of cooking appliance, ultimately killing him, prosecutors say.
Gross then allegedly torched the home -- but not before stealing jewelry from the victim first. The two had been in a relationship for two decades prior to the killing.
"This defendant is accused of violently killing her romantic partner and then setting his house on fire to conceal this heinous crime," Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said in a statement. "Our condolences remain with the Coppola family and friends as they continue to mourn his death."
Gross was remanded to jail and is due back in court next month. Information on a possible attorney for her wasn't immediately clear. If convicted, she faces up to life in prison.
