A violent ex-con was arrested Thursday for tying up and suffocating a 73-year-old East Harlem grandmother inside her home.
Gregory Velez, 35, was charged with second-degree murder and felony robbery in the death of Julia Hernandez.
The woman's daughter, Jeannetee Hernandez, found her body on Tuesday, with her hands and legs bound by a scarf and a plastic bag over her head, cops said.
Velez, from Melrose Ave. in the Bronx, also stole a 46-inch flat-panel TV, jewelry and a cell phone from Hernandez's apartment in the Wagner Houses, police said.
Velez was seen on a surveillance video walking out of the building with the missing television.
He served prison time for drug sales and robbery, and his lengthy rap sheet also includes charges for assault and harassment.