A Queens homeless man is being held without bail after he allegedly shot his estranged wife to death in front of his stepdaughter on a St. Albans street last month.
Audwin Caines, 62, was apprehended in Upper Manhattan on Tuesday, July 15, by U.S. Marshals from the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force who brought him back to Queens, where he was booked later that day at the 113th Precinct in Jamaica for the murder of Chaniel Ramsay in broad daylight on June 23.
Caines was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court July 16 on a complaint charging him with murder in the second degree and other related crimes. He was also arraigned on a separate complaint charging him with assault for stabbing Ramsay in the chest with a broken bottle in July 2024.
According to the charges, on June 23, 2025, at just after 12:21 p.m., Chaniel Ramsay’s Jeep Grand Cherokee was parked in front of 123-40 Irwin Place in St. Albans. The front passenger window was shattered, and a brick was seen inside the Jeep. A few minutes later, Ramsay received text messages on her phone, allegedly from Caines, with a photo showing the damage to her Jeep with a chilling threat to do her harm saying, “I’m going to keep f***ing up your sh*t,” and “You want to f**k me over now, I’m doing it to you.
The stepdaughter of the accused killer saw the text message and later told a detective from the 113th Precinct that the phone number belonged to Caines, according to the criminal complaint.
Later that day, at around 2:30 p.m., Caines was holding a firearm when he allegedly approached Ramsay, 45, and her 21-year-old daughter as they walked on 176th Street in St. Albans, according to the charges. As they ran from Caines, he chased after them and began shooting in their direction. Both women took cover behind a vehicle parked in a driveway on 127th Street.
As Caines got closer, Ramsay stood up, stepped away from the car, and ran towards Caines in an effort to shield her daughter, prosecutors said. Caines raised his weapon and fired multiple times at point-blank range, striking Ramsay in the head and body, before he fled the scene.
His stepdaughter called 911, and police from the 113th Precinct responded to the location, where they found Ramsay unconscious and unresponsive. EMS rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.
“As alleged, a 45-year-old woman was senselessly gunned down on the streets of St. Albans by her estranged husband, as part of an escalating series of violent incidents,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “This murder shocked the community, and my office will seek justice for the family of Chaniel Ramsay.”
Additionally, on July 1, 2024, Caines and Ramsay got into a “heated argument” at their home on Irwin Place when she asked him to leave. According to the criminal complaint, Caines struck her with a full bottle of booze. When she fell to the floor, he got on top of her and stabbed her with the broken bottle in her chest and elbow.
In addition to the murder and assault charges, Caines was also charged with attempted murder and several counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Queens Criminal Court Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar remanded Caines into custody without bail. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
“Intimate partner violence exacts a devastating toll on victims and families,” Katz said. “I urge anyone experiencing domestic violence to contact our 24-hour helpline at 718-286-4410. My office can help with safety planning services, securing an order of protection, or shelter placement.”
