Convicted felon charged with murder for homeless woman's death in Rochester

Rochester, N.Y. — A repeat offender has been arrested in connection to a homeless woman's death in downtown Rochester last week. Tavontay Haygood-Session, 31, is charged with second-degree murder for the killing of 46-year-old Karen Wargo, who was found dead on the sidewalk at the corner of Pleasant Street and North Clinton Avenue July 9 just before midnight, according to Rochester police.

The Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of Wargo's death was a combination of blunt force trauma to the head and asphyxiation. Police said surveillance footage showed Haygood-Session assaulting and kicking Wargo on the sidewalk roughly 30 minutes before she was found by a passerby.

Haygood-Session was arrested the next morning on East Main Street following a report of a man checking out vehicles in the area. Police said he became aggressive toward officers and was placed under a mental hygiene arrest before being taken to a local hospital. He was discharged Wednesday and taken into custody.

Haygood-Session was previously convicted in May 2024 of attempted arson and endangering the welfare of a child for trying to set a house on fire with children inside, according to police. He's also previously been convicted of two other unidentified felony charges and three misdemeanors.

BACKGROUND: Police investigating suspicious death in downtown Rochester