Alert – Queens landlord David Daniel ‘stabbed two tenants and girlfriend to death for refusing to pay rent since COVID’ – as neighbor says suspect once looked at him like he was ‘ready to kill’

A New York landlord reportedly killed two of his tenants – as well as his girlfriend – in a dispute over back rent.

David Daniel, 54  is now facing murder charges as a result – after turning himself over to police moments after the murders.

The triple stabbing happened in the St. Albans section of Queens sometime before 7am Tuesday, and left two women, ages 51 and 55, and one 57-year-old man dead.

Two of the victims, the man and the 55-year-old woman, were tenants at the single-family home where the killings occurred – which is owned by Daniel and had been rented out for the past several years.

The tenants were found dead in a basement bedroom and the suspect’s girlfriend in a bed upstairs. 

Daniel turned himself in to confess, and law enforcement sources said he may have been motivated by a rent dispute that dates back to the pandemic.

David Daniel, 54, is now facing murder charges after turning himself over to police Tuesday. Sources said he may have been motivated by a rent dispute dating back to the pandemic

The triple stabbing happened in the St. Albans section of Queens sometime before 7am, and left two women, ages 51 and 55, and one 57-year-old man dead

Two of the victims, the man and reportedly the 55-year-old, were tenants at the single-family home where the killings occurred – which is owned by Daniel and had been rented out for years

The triple murder happened just before 7am, and David turned himself to the 113th Precinct minutes later to own up to slayings. 

He told officers he was ‘having issues with his tenants’, NYPD Assistant Chief Kevin Williams revealed to reporters Tuesday.

‘The officer inquired further, and the male stated that ‘he did something bad,” Williams said of the suspect – who is said to have lived at the residence upstairs, possibly with his girlfriend.

The top cop delivered the statement directly outside the three-bedroom home, which was overrun with cops Tuesday morning.

‘He came in as calm as we thought he could he could be when he engaged the officers,’ he added.

Dozens of lawmen gathered at the home less than an hour after they received word of the murders and remained there over the course of the morning as cops at the precinct a mile away relentlessly questioned the suspect.

The landlord gave cops the address of his home and told them ‘he left the backdoor open,’ NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said later Tuesday, as he recounted how the suspect ‘said that he killed three people’ before providing the information.

Police proceeded to descend on the single-family, three bedroom home around 7:16am, where they found the bodies and pronounced all dead.

During Daniel’s alleged confession, he told cops ‘that he had [been having] problems with his girlfriend and that the two [people] in the basement had not been paying their rent,’ Det. Kenny said Tuesday. 

Several law enforcement sources have since confirmed the suspect’s account – revealing Wednesday the two tenants had not paid rent since the start of the COVID pandemic, though some months have since been repaid.

A reneging on those repayments may have spurred the stabbing, one insider told The Daily News, as several neighbors – and relatives – offered insight into the landlord’s personal life and possible state of mind before the murders.

During Daniel’s alleged confession, he told cops ‘that he had [been having] problems with his girlfriend and that the two [people] in the basement had not been paying their rent’. He’s currently being held on charges of first- and second-degree murder

The triple murder happened just before 7am, and a David turned himself to the 113th Precinct minutes later to own up to slayings,. There, he told officers he was ‘having issues with his tenants’ 

‘The officer inquired further, and the male stated that ‘he did something bad,” cops said of the suspect – who is believed to have also lived at the residence and once looked at a neighbor as if he was ‘ready to kill’

Cops then rushed to home on Milburn Street near 122nd Avenue after he told them the address, and found the three victims stabbed to death

Cops found the tenants in a basement bedroom, and the suspect’s girlfriend in a bed upstairs

One person who spoke to The New York Times said that Daniel – currently facing charges of first- and second- degree murder – periodically cut his neighbors’ grass often stopped to say a hello.

‘It was a shock,’ the woman said, telling the paper she had lived across the street from the house David owns for 20 years.

Another neighbor told DailyMail.com that David had lived at the residence for at least two years, and that he saw him outside just last week blowing leaves.

A resident, also a neighbor, who spoke to the News Tuesday recalled how the accused was initially  friendly when he first moved in, but quickly turned cold. 

‘He was kind of OK and never a problem,’ said the 62-year-old man, who gave his name as Mike.

‘He was kind at first,’ he continued. ‘We was talking together and all of the sudden he stop.

‘He don’t talk to nobody around the neighborhood.’

Another person who spoke to The New York Post said they got a similar ‘vibe’ from the suspected killer.

‘He is friendly to some people, not friendly to others,’ the man, who asked to remain anonymous,’ told the paper.

‘I’m in the second category,’ he continued, ‘and I don’t know why. 

‘He’s just very standoffish to me.’

Footage from Tuesday morning showed the department’s stark response – with dozens of lawmen gathered at the home less than an hour after they received word of the murders 

Several law enforcement sources have since confirmed the suspect’s account – revealing Wednesday the two tenants had not paid rent since the start of the COVID pandemic, though some months have since been repaid

One resident said that Daniel – currently facing charges of first- and second- degree murder – periodically cut his neighbors’ grass often stopped to say a hello

Another neighbor told DailyMail.com that David had lived at the residence for at least two years, and that he saw him outside just last week blowing leaves

Another person who lives on the tree-lined street recalled how Daniel once got angry at him for waving at his girlfriend, who was often seen around the neighborhood.

‘He had this awkward look like when you’re ready to kill somebody,’ the man recounted to the News, also asking to go unnamed.  

‘I’m like, ‘Bro, what’s up, bro? Why you staring at me? You got a problem?” he continued.

‘He said his girlfriend said that I waved, being flirtatious. But it was more of a neighborly, ‘Hey.’

‘He said, ‘My girlfriend told me that you waved at her and you were smiling.”

Yet another neighbor painted a different picture of the landlord, revealing he was a family man who ‘loved his daughters.’

‘They were his life,’ St Albans’ Stacey Brown, 34, told the News.

She also revealed that in addition to renting out his residence, he also owned a wholesale grocery company. She described the suspect as ‘very business minded.’

Brown told the paper: ‘He was so nice and gentle. He was a very nice person who loves to go out. 

‘He used to post pictures of him and his girlfriend at restaurants and clubs.’

One resident, also a neighbor, recalled how the accused was initially friendly when he first moved in, but quickly turned cold and withdrawn

Another person said they got a similar ‘vibe’ from the suspected killer, telling reporters: ‘He is friendly to some people, not friendly to others’

Another person who lives on the tree-lined street recalled how Daniel once got angry at him for waving at his girlfriend, who was often seen around the neighborhood

As for Daniel, he remained locked up at the station where he walked after allegedly committing the murders, with an arraignment date yet to be set.

Speaking about the suspect Tuesday, Kenny recalled how Daniel ‘didn’t appear to be bloody’ when he showed up at the stationhouse, while describing his demeanor as ‘very matter of fact.’

‘He just wanted to tell his story,’ the detective said, adding that his statements were captured on officers’ body cameras and were devoid of emotion.

The names and ages of the victims, meanwhile, were not made public, and come from law enforcement sources familiar with the still-ongoing case.

Cops could not provide an update on the suspect’s condition when asked Wednesday morning, citing the still-developing investigation. 

Kenny said officers are still working to notify the victims’ families of their deaths.