A sexy ex-model who became a New York City heroine when she fended off a ferocious would-be rapist in Central Park six years ago killed her boyfriend and herself in a bizarre murder-suicide in New Jersey, according to reports.
Carina Schlesinger, 36, allegedly shot 29-year-old Daniel Cresci of Middletown, N.J. to death on Wednesday at the dog training school she ran in Holmdel, officials said.
She then set the building on fire before turning the gun on herself, according nj.com.
The former model may have killed Cresci up to several days before she started the blaze at the New Jersey State Dog School, where both of the bodies were found, Monmouth County prosecutors told The Asbury Park Press.
The case is still under investigation, though prosecutors refused to discuss details of the deaths tonight.
Schlesinger became the face of fighting back against crime after she was attacked in Central Park in May 2004 by a thug named Tito Rodriguez. She held him off as he viscously tried to rape her for some 20 minutes near The Ravine.
The attack finally came to an end when her adopted 60-pound pet dog, Cookie, intervened and drove Rodriguez off. The sicko, who is also suspected in other rapes, was slapped with a 125-year-to-life sentence for the attack.
Schlesinger ran the canine school in Holmdel, which trained protection dogs to perform crime-fighting feats that would stop similar attacks to the one she suffered. Cookie is featured prominently on the web site.
In an exclusive 2004 interview with The Post she showed a tough attitude, saying that she had “no fear” since the attack, and that she “wasn’t scared once” during the attack.
She also said that she felt “lucky” she was the one who was attack, because she and her dog were prepared to fight him off.
“If I ran into him again, I’d clock him first she said.”