*A years-long dispute over the inheritance of a Mount Vernon home turned deadly this week when police say a man fatally shot his 39-year-old niece moments after she completed her overnight shift caring for adults with developmental disabilities.
The New York Police Department announced that 58-year-old Michael Foster was arrested Wednesday evening and charged with murder, manslaughter, and 10 counts of criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the death of Julia Anderson.
Authorities said Anderson was sitting inside her Jeep Grand Cherokee on Murdock Avenue in the Wakefield section of the Bronx shortly after midnight Tuesday when she was shot twice in the chest. She had just completed her 4 p.m. to midnight shift at a nearby group home, ABC7 New York is reporting.
Investigators say Foster allegedly fled the scene on a moped after the shooting. Anderson reportedly fell from her SUV after being struck by gunfire and was later pronounced dead.
Police believe the shooting stemmed from an ongoing dispute over a two-family home in Mount Vernon. According to investigators, Foster became angry after the property was reportedly left to Anderson, the oldest grandchild, following the 2023 death of his mother, Icilda Foster.
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Property Dispute Escalated Before Fatal Shooting
Authorities say the conflict over the family home had already spilled into the courts before the fatal shooting.
Court records show Foster accused Anderson of forging documents related to ownership of the property. Although Anderson was arrested in 2025 following those allegations, prosecutors later dismissed the case.
Anderson subsequently filed a federal lawsuit alleging investigators relied on unverified statements made by Foster, whom she accused of carrying out a personal vendetta against her.
Following Foster’s arrest, members of the NYPD Crime Scene Unit spent hours collecting evidence at the Mount Vernon residence connected to the investigation.
According to prosecutors, investigators recovered two semiautomatic pistols and a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle during a search of the home.
During Foster’s arraignment, prosecutors also disclosed that he previously served prison time after a first-degree manslaughter conviction stemming from a 1988 fatal shooting. That prior conviction is unrelated to the current case, and Foster is presumed innocent of the new charges unless proven guilty in court.
A Life Dedicated to Helping Others
As investigators continue building their case, coworkers and loved ones are remembering Anderson for the compassion that defined both her career and her character.
For 17 years, Anderson worked for a nonprofit organization providing care and support for adults with developmental disabilities. Colleagues said she devoted herself to the people she served and never sought recognition for her work.
“There’s not one bad word uttered about her,” said Omayra Andino, CEO of the nonprofit where Anderson worked. “She cared so much about the people that she supports.”
Andino recalled that Anderson once declined a promotion because she wanted to continue working directly with clients.
“We even wanted to give her a promotion at one point and she said, ‘No, I love what I’m doing,'” Andino said.
Following Anderson’s death, the organization held a town hall meeting to help employees cope with the loss.
“I just finished a town hall meeting to talk to staff about it, and shock is probably the least I could say, but devastation is probably more accurate,” Andino said.
Before dedicating herself to caregiving, Anderson briefly pursued music under the stage name Jewelz Champaign. Family members said she performed with rapper Jadakiss before ultimately leaving the music industry to pursue a different calling.
Loved Ones Remember a Compassionate Daughter and Friend
The allegation that Anderson was killed by her own uncle has left family members, friends and coworkers struggling to comprehend the tragedy.
Andino said learning that Foster had been charged with Anderson’s murder felt “like something out of a movie.”
Her father remembered his daughter as someone who constantly made people smile, while friends described her as intelligent, hardworking and deeply caring.
Loved ones said Anderson was just one month away from celebrating her 40th birthday.
As the criminal case moves through the courts, those closest to Anderson say they hope she will be remembered not for the violence that ended her life, but for the compassion she showed every day to the people she served and the countless lives she touched during her 17 years of caregiving.
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