Authorities have arrested a man they say killed an elderly couple in Queens and set their home on fire, said New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

The manhunt for Jamel McGriff, 42, ended on Wednesday afternoon as he was taken into custody by police officers in Midtown Manhattan, Tisch said in a post on X. He is expected to be charged in connection with the double homicide.

McGriff, who has an extensive criminal history dating back 30 years, tricked his way into the victims’ home on Monday by claiming his cell phone had died and he needed to go inside to charge it, Tisch said.

The double murder comes as the Trump administration seeks to target major Democratic-led cities over what it describes as an increase in violent crime.

Police were able to track McGriff using their domain awareness system and followed his usage of the victims’ credit cards, two law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation told CNN.

Jamel McGriff is a suspect in a double homicide in Queens, New York.

McGriff allegedly tried the ruse at a nearby house first but was turned away, Tisch said.

“Video shows the suspect interacting with the male victim, and it appears the suspect was allowed into the backyard,” Tisch said.

The man was next seen about five hours later leaving the house, Tisch said.

Firefighters and police raced to the scene after being called by the elderly couple’s son, an off-duty New York City Fire Department paramedic, Tisch said.

Once the fire was extinguished, investigators found the victims, Frank Olton, 76, and his wife, Maureen Olton, 77, according to Tisch. A previous NYPD news release misstated the victims’ ages.

“Mr. Olton was found in the basement, tied to a pole with multiple stab wounds. Mrs. Olton was found on the first floor, severely burned,” Tisch said, adding that there was no connection between the suspect and the victims.

Investigators at the scene of a fire in the Bellerose neighborhood of Queens shortly after midnight on Tuesday.

McGriff’s lengthy criminal history includes multiple robberies, according to Tisch. He was out on parole after serving 16 years in prison for a 2006 robbery, Tisch said. McGriff is also wanted in connection with two robberies, one in July, the other in August, and failed to register as a sex offender in 2024, violating his parole, Tisch said.

McGriff, who was spotted in the Bronx earlier Tuesday trying to pawn a pair of cell phones, was sought as a suspect by the NYPD and the regional Fugitive Task Force, Tisch said.

In New York City, murders are down 17 percent this year compared to last year, according to NYPD statistics. Shooting incidents have also decreased by 17 percent so far this year. Burglary is down 4 percent, and overall, major crimes in New York City are down 4 percent compared to last year, the statistics show.