A Queens grand jury indicted a homeless man for shooting and killing his estranged wife and attempting to murder her daughter on a St. Albans street in June.
Audwin Caines, 62, was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on Tuesday on an eight-count indictment charging him with murder in the second degree, two counts of attempted murder and other related crimes. Caines is also charged with using a broken bottle to allegedly stab his spouse in the chest in July 2024.
According to the charges and investigation, Caines was estranged from his wife, Chaniel Ramsay. On June 23, 2025, at just after 12:21 p.m., Ramsay’s Jeep Grand Cherokee was parked in front of 123-40 Irwin Pl. in St. Albans. The front passenger window was shattered, and a brick was seen inside the Jeep. A few minutes earlier, 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, according to the criminal complaint.
At approximately 2:30 p.m., Caines was allegedly armed with a gun when he approached Ramsay, who was walking with her 21-year-old daughter on 176th Street in St. Albans. The two women saw Caines coming towards them and they ran. Caines allegedly opened fire in their direction. According to the charges, Ramsay and her daughter attempted to hide behind a parked vehicle on 127th Street. As Caines drew closer, Ramsay stood up, stepped away from the vehicle and ran to direct his attention away from her daughter. Caines then allegedly shot his estranged wife multiple times at point-blank range. Ramsay was struck in her head and body, and Caines fled the scene.
Ramsay’s daughter called 911, and police from the 113th Precinct in Jamaica responded to the location, where they found Ramsay unconscious and unresponsive. EMS rushed her to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.
According to the charges, a year earlier, on July 1, 2024, Caines is alleged to have stabbed Ramsay in the chest and elbow with a broken glass bottle. The defendant and Ramsay were arguing inside the home they shared at the time on Irwin Place, when the victim asked Caines to leave the residence. Caines allegedly hit her on the head with a bottle of alcohol and then knocked her to the floor before stabbing her with the broken bottle.
The defendant eluded arrest for the 2024 incident. Caines 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.
“As alleged, Chaniel Ramsay was the victim of an escalating series of violent events. The 45-year-old woman died protecting her daughter from gun violence at the hands of her estranged husband,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “This defendant is now charged with murder and the attempted murder of his wife’s daughter for the June 23, 2025, shooting, and with the attempted murder of his wife from a year ago and other serious charges.”
Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant remanded Caines back into custody without parole and ordered him to return to court on Oct. 3. If convicted, Caines faces up to 75 years to life in prison.
“If you are a victim of domestic violence, or know someone who is, do not suffer in silence,” Katz said. “Reach out to our office for help at 718-286-4410. Someone is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
