Wearing a brown prison jumpsuit over a white long-sleeve shirt, Jhnon Moises Chacaguasay-Ilbis stood in a New York City courtroom, awaiting his sentencing for killing childhood friend Joselyn Jhoana Toaquiza. Apparently with no motive, the man lured the latter to an Airbnb in Syracuse under the guise of a birthday party. Unfortunately, instead of being met with an elaborate celebration, Toaquiza met the end of her life at the hands of Chacaguasay-Ilbis by strangling.
The killing happened on June 18, 2024, on Syracuse’s North Side in New York. He then dumped the body in Lincoln Park. However, that’s not where Chacaguasay-Ilbis was apprehended. Instead, he was found in a New York City hospital after being admitted for being mugged and sexually assaulted by a sex worker. He had fled to New York City, where he used Toaquiza’s credit cards to pay for several expenses, including a subscription to OnlyFans. It’s unclear if the card was also used to purchase services from the aforementioned sex worker.
Prosecutor Anthony Company noted these findings in court while arguing with Chacaguasay-Ilbis’s attorney, Ben Coffin, about how little the man cared about having killed a friend.
“He is a cold-blooded killer.”
Both Joselyn Jhoana Toaquiza and Jhnon Moises Chacaguasay-Ilbis had come to New York to await immigration hearings to determine whether they could stay in the United States. The former was working at a Central New York hotel when Chacaguasay-Ilbis met her to celebrate her birthday. It is unclear if the two had a relationship outside of being childhood friends from Ecuador.
However, what is clear is that she felt he was safe enough to go to an Airbnb in a city she doesn’t know with him. Chacaguasay-Ilbis claims to have been drunk during the attack, and doesn’t remember what happened. But, he was eager to plead guilty and take on the responsibility of his actions, even directly addressing the family of the deceased during the hearing. Hopefully, the family will be able to earn some sort of peace from this outcome.
