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Brooklyn neighbors say they tried to help 64-year-old woman who died in freezing temps
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jan 29, 2026
Modified Jan 29, 2026
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Brittany Kriegstein / Gothamist
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jan 29, 2026
Modified Jan 29, 2026
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Neighbors at the Brooklyn building where a 64-year-old woman died amid extremely cold temperatures last week said they tried desperately to help her all night long, but she would not come inside.
“She acknowledged us. She looked at us, but she just wasn't responsive,” said Jonathan Inesta, who said he and his girlfriend did everything they could to try to coax the woman into their Canarsie building Friday night.
The couple even gave her a note with directions to a subway station and the nearest homeless shelter, along with some cash, but she wouldn’t budge and didn’t speak, according to Inesta.
They said they called 911 the next morning, after hearing cries from a man outside who had also checked on the woman throughout the day. By 9:30 a.m. Saturday, NYPD officers found her lifeless in the side yard of the building on Remsen Avenue near Glenwood Road. Officials said paramedics declared her dead at the scene.
The 64-year-old, whom the neighbors said they knew only as Barbara, was one of the 10 people discovered dead outdoors from Saturday to Tuesday as New York City experienced a dangerous deep freeze, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration.
Officials said all the deaths remain under investigation and autopsy results are not yet available. Mamdani said Wednesday hypothermia was suspected to have played a role in about seven of them, and six of the 10 people “were known to” the city’s Department of Homeless Services. At least some of the people had histories of homelessness, drug use and health issues, Gothamist reported.
City leaders are urging New Yorkers to keep an eye on their neighbors and vulnerable people, including those living on the street, as forecasters say the frigid weather is likely to persist into next week and could bring more snow this weekend.
Under the Code Blue authorities have declared, outreach teams are amplifying their efforts to connect homeless people to shelters, warming centers and other indoor locations while relaxing usual shelter intake requirements.
The front of the Canarsie building where the woman, known as Barbara by neighbors, was discovered dead
Brittany Kriegstein / Gothamist
Barbara was one of two women who perished outside during the recent cold snap, according to officials.
The other was a 90-year-old Crown Heights woman with dementia who neighbors said wandered out of her apartment building Friday night. She was found dead Saturday morning in the snow behind another apartment building on her block.
The Canarsie family described years of unsuccessful attempts to get help for Barbara, who they said originally came from Poland, just as they had.
She would often come inside their building for shelter, they said, adding that they did not know if she had immediate relatives nearby.
Neighbors said they had seen Barbara with the other man in the hours before her death, and that he would periodically check on her as the temperature plummeted. The family said they heard him wailing over her body early in the morning before police arrived.
He disappeared shortly thereafter, before first responders arrived, according to the neighbors.
Inesta recalled how Barbara moved away from her pile of blankets as the night grew colder — despite their pleas for her to get out of the elements — as if she had “given up already.”
“It’s kind of sad seeing somebody succumb that way,” he said. “It kind of reminds you how close regular people are to just being in a really bad situation.”
The belongings of the man police said was found dead on the Upper East Side on Jan. 24, 2026, according to local doorman Sergio Pires
Brittany Kriegstein / Gothamist
In Manhattan on Thursday, Upper East Side doorman Sergio Pires said neighbors had long tried to help a man whom police found dead, also on Saturday morning, on East 69th Street and First Avenue.
He was one of several people who would usually stay under scaffolding on the block, Pires said, noting he did not know the man’s name.
“You can ask them if they need help, you can give them money, but they're on the street 'cause they want to be here,” Pires said.
Residents and staff at the building where Pires works had offered to give the man food and clothing, and on occasion called 911 to try to connect him and the other people with resources, the doorman added.
Pires pointed to a wheeled cart down the block full of small bags, saying they were the man’s belongings. He said hasn’t seen the other people since the deep freeze set in.
“They just want to be left alone,” he said.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
Zohran Mamdani
brooklyn
canarsie
manhattan
new york city
public safety
upper east side
weather
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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