The woman was found dead Friday at an address that had been the subject of a city complaint filed a day earlier.
NEW YORK — The fatal stabbing of an unidentified woman inside a Queens storefront has drawn attention to the business operating there and to a zoning complaint filed against the address just one day before police discovered the body.
Emergency personnel were called to 36-17 164th St. in Flushing at about 4:30 p.m. Friday after a report of an unconscious person, according to officials. Responders found a woman with multiple stab wounds inside the commercial space and pronounced her dead at the scene. Police then secured the property and began investigating the death. No arrest had been announced by Saturday morning.
The investigation has raised questions not only about who killed the woman but also about what business was operating behind the storefront. NBC New York reported that the location appeared to advertise massage services, while residents said the space had previously been used as a skin care clinic and had seemed closed for an extended period. PIX11 also described the business as a massage parlor.
City records cited by NBC New York showed an open complaint against the address filed Thursday, the day before the woman was found. The complaint alleged that an adult establishment was operating at the property in violation of zoning rules. A complaint is an allegation submitted for city review and does not by itself establish that a violation occurred. Authorities had not said whether the complaint had any connection to the woman’s death.
New York City’s Department of Buildings handles complaints involving suspected zoning violations at adult establishments. The city’s 311 guidance says such complaints can involve allegations that a business is improperly located or otherwise operating contrary to zoning regulations. The department may issue violations when an inspection or review determines that enforcement is warranted.
There was no public indication Saturday that the zoning issue was part of the police investigation. Police had not announced a motive for the killing, and investigators had not said whether the woman’s death was connected to the business’s operations, its customers, its workers or the complaint filed with the city. Those questions remained unresolved.
Neighbors interviewed by NBC New York said the storefront had often appeared closed, with its windows covered, and that they were uncertain about the activity inside. One resident said the business appeared to have resumed activity only in recent months after the space had been empty. Those observations describe residents’ impressions and do not establish how the business was legally registered or what services it was authorized to provide.
The victim had not been publicly identified as of Saturday. Law enforcement sources told NBC New York that no identification was found with her when she was discovered. Police had not released her age or explained whether investigators had since established her identity and contacted relatives.
Investigators were also trying to locate a man described by law enforcement sources as bald and heavy-set and wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans and construction boots. Police had not publicly named him, announced charges or established in public statements what connection he may have had to the killing. Other reports described a man leaving the building around the time of the discovery.
The storefront remained the focus of an active death investigation as police worked to identify the woman, determine the circumstances of the stabbing and locate anyone who may have information about what happened. The separate zoning complaint remained a matter for city review, and officials had not established a link between the complaint and the killing.
Author note: Last updated November 7, 2026.