Who is Emilia Rennhack? NYPD cop killed in nail salon accident – ​​funeral details

Off-duty NYPD Officer Emilia Rennhack was one of four people killed Friday when a car crashed into a Long Island nail salon.

Rennhack was at Hawaii Nail & Spa in Deer Park getting her nails done for a colleague’s wedding when 64-year-old Steven Schwally drove his car into the building.

Schwally has been charged with drunken driving and could face additional charges once the case is presented to a grand jury.

Rennhack worked at the 102nd Precinct in Queens, where she met her husband, Detective Carl Rennhack. The two had just married in September.

“Officer Rennhack dedicated her life to serving and protecting our community with bravery, compassion and unwavering devotion. Her sacrifice and dedication will never be forgotten,” the 102nd Precinct wrote on Facebook.

Rennhack graduated from the police academy in 2018, where she also received an award for physical fitness. She has worked in the department’s domestic violence unit since 2021. Through her role in the department, she has had a “positive impact” on families in the community, according to the department.

During her six-year career, she also made over 150 arrests.

“The members of the community and her brothers and sisters in the 102nd District looked up to her,” the district said.

Rennhack emigrated from Poland to the USA at the age of twelve. Her dream was to become a police officer, according to the precinct.

A fundraiser for her husband, his family and her family is taking place on FundtheFirst.com.

“During this difficult time, we come together, and hope you will too, to support Carl and Emilia’s family with unexpected funeral expenses and to support their trip to Poland so that Emilia’s family and friends in Poland can say goodbye and honor her memory in the place she called home,” the fundraiser states. “We also want to make sure her parents, who have already experienced more heartache than any parent should have, can cope with the loss of Emilia’s financial support.”

Rennhack’s viewing will be held Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the New Hyde Park Funeral Home. Her funeral will be held the next day at noon at the New Hyde Park Funeral Home. Private cremation will follow.

The other three people who died in the crash were 37-year-old Jiancai “Kenny” Chen, 41-year-old Yan Xu and 50-year-old Meizi Zhang.

According to a GoFundMe campaign set up by a family member, Chen was the manager of the nail salon. His wife was also seriously injured. They have 10- and 5-year-old children.

“With the store completely destroyed and her mother suffering from severe back and hip injuries, the family has lost their only source of income,” Vincent Zheng wrote about the fundraiser.

Xu and Zhang were employees in the salon.

Xu’s family has also launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for her elderly father and her 12-year-old son, who has polio.

“I and her family were shocked and deeply saddened to receive this news. We cannot believe we have lost her forever,” Shihua Yang wrote about the fundraiser.

Newsweek requested the arrest affidavit and body camera footage of the incident from the Suffolk County Police Department. A representative for the department said they could not release those materials due to the ongoing investigation.

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