Police say the 41-year-old victim collapsed after a lobby fight at an Ocean Avenue apartment building.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A 41-year-old building superintendent died after a struggle with a man believed to be stealing packages inside a Flatbush apartment lobby Wednesday morning, police and neighbors said. Detectives on Thursday questioned a 30-year-old person of interest and collected evidence from the Ocean Avenue property.
The death has rattled residents who say package thefts have plagued the building for months. Authorities said the superintendent confronted a man in the lobby shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday and was struck several times during the encounter. Officers arrived minutes later and took a man into custody for questioning. The superintendent returned inside, then collapsed and was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he died. The city medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of death, and investigators were still deciding whether any charges would be filed as of Thursday afternoon.
Family members identified the victim as Burim Havolli, a married father of three who lived and worked at the Ocean Avenue building. His cousin, Petrit Havolli, said the family was stunned. “There’s no words. He left behind three children,” Havolli said. Residents said the confrontation started when the super tried to stop a suspected thief in the lobby. Witness Sarah Abraham said the man tried to flee on a scooter before officers arrived. “He just took out his phone and started repeatedly giving him blows to the head,” Abraham said. Police removed a scooter from the sidewalk as evidence and canvassed apartments for video and witnesses through the day.
Officers responded to a 911 call about an assault at 1199 Ocean Avenue just after 8 a.m. Wednesday and found the superintendent with head injuries, according to police. He was taken to Kings County Hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead. A person of interest, described by police as a 30-year-old man, was detained at the scene for questioning. Authorities have not released his name. Investigators are examining whether the attack is tied to a pattern of package thefts in the building’s lobby; residents said flyers warning of recurring thefts had been posted this fall. A tenant, Jeff Fisher, said the super “was extremely professional” and had responded quickly when packages went missing in recent weeks.
Neighbors and coworkers said Havolli had become a familiar, steady presence on the block. A longtime porter who worked with him described repeated attempts by thieves to get into the building since the summer, sometimes prying at doors or tailgating residents. Residents said the super typically confronted trespassers, then waited for police. On Wednesday, witnesses said he tried to hold the man in the lobby until officers arrived. The blows were delivered with a cellphone, according to residents who saw the struggle. Detectives collected surveillance footage from multiple angles inside the entryway and outside near the steps, where the scooter was parked.
As of Thursday evening, the medical examiner had not publicly ruled on the exact cause of death. Police said the investigation remains active and that charges would depend on findings from the autopsy and interviews. Detectives were also reviewing reports of earlier incidents in the building, including multiple complaints of stolen packages in the lobby this fall. Investigators are tracing the scooter and examining call logs and digital devices seized at the scene. No other suspects had been named publicly, though residents said they had previously seen more than one person involved in package thefts.
The block around Ocean Avenue was quiet Thursday, save for detectives moving in and out of the lobby with evidence bags. A maintenance cart sat near the mailboxes. Down the hall, a neighbor straightened handwritten flyers warning about theft. “It feels different today,” Fisher said. “He kept this place running.” Near the stoop, a woman paused with a bouquet and shook her head. “He was just doing his job,” she said. In the afternoon, relatives embraced outside the entrance and spoke softly in Albanian before leaving for the hospital to meet with investigators.
Police said the case remains under investigation pending autopsy results. Detectives plan to review additional security video and re-interview key witnesses on Friday, Nov. 14. No charges had been announced by early Thursday evening, and officials said any charging decision would follow the medical examiner’s determination and the district attorney’s review.
Author note: Last updated November 13, 2025.