Friends remember North Bondi teen Yolonda Mumbulla as man escorted from crime scene

Two men have been charged with drug offences after body of 19-year-old Yolonda Mumbulla was found in a North Bondi flat.

Two men have been charged with drug offences after the body of 19-year-old woman was found in a North Bondi flat. Picture: The Australian

The teenager found dead in her North Bondi flat has been remembered as an “uplifting spirit” after CCTV footage emerged of a man being escorted away by police from the scene where her body was found in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Tuesday.

Tributes have been flowing for 19-year-old Yolonda Mumbler, also known as Yolonda Mumbulla, who is being remembered by friends as being “funny and full of joy”.

Two men, including her partner Aaron Carey, 32, will face court on drug charges after her body was located at an address in North Bondi on Tuesday morning.

Friends say her and her partner had a baby about “six to seven months ago”.

Yolonda Mumbulla was found dead in her North Bondi apartment on Tuesday. Photo: Supplied

Police and ambulance services were called to her unit on Hardy Street in North Bondi on Tuesday around 9.20am, following reports a woman was found unresponsive.

Her 32-year-old partner was arrested at the North Bondi flat on Tuesday morning with police saying on Tuesday the death is being treated as “suspicious”.

No charges have been laid over her death.

Footage of a man, who appears down and dishevelled, being led into a police car by officers at 10:43am on Tuesday can be shown for the first time.

Close friend Alyah Pera, who has known Yolonda since they were both babies, paid tribute to her friend who “always had our back”.

“She’s always been a very loyal friend and always had our backs,” Ms Pera said.

“She was very bubbly, kind hearted and a happy person.

“She’s never had a bad thing to say about anyone, she was very much the peace-maker in our friend group.

“I’m going to miss her smile and contagious laughter, everyone needs someone like her in their lives.

Ms Pera says she didn’t get to see her friend “too much” after she met her partner.

“We lost her when she met him, as she went back and forth with him,” she said.

“I only met the bloke once, not a good person, we don’t know much about her life with him but they had a baby girl together about six to seven months ago.

“I believe that his lifestyle dragged her down with him.

Yolonda’s father Derek Mumbler said he was “cut open and not happy”.

“This should never have happened, my daughter is beautiful.

“I met Aaron once, didn’t feel good about (him),” Mr Mumbler said. “I love my daughter, I didn’t want this on my daughter.”

It is understood police had previously been called to the unit “many times” in the past, and that the occupiers had lived in the unit for several years.

The couple were known to police and there was an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order between them last heard at Waverley local court in August last year.

The Daily Telegraph reported she had a black eye and her partner claimed she had suffered in a bathroom fall.

On Wednesday morning, police charged her partner with the outstanding warrant for larceny value less than or equal to $2000, three counts of enter vehicle or boat without consent of owner/occupier, destroy or damage property less than or equal to $2000, hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty, and goods suspected stolen in/on premises.

Pictured is the housing commission apartment block on Hardy Street North Bondi where police yesterday found the body of a 19 year old woman. Picture: Richard Dobson

Police executed a search warrant on Flood Street, Bondi, about 5.10pm on Tuesday afternoon, where they arrested a 34-year-old man and seized 1g of Methylamphetamine and cannabis.

Neighbours say the apartment block where the woman died is owned by the NSW Housing Department, and that there were occasionally disturbances.

“We’ve previously heard screaming stuff and like, they’ll burn their bins and stay up very late,” one neighbour said.

“Most of (the residents in the apartment block) are a bit funny and harmless, I’d say,” another neighbour said. “We do get the occasional drunk; or one of them’s a bit nuts and screams in the middle of the night, I’d probably see the police here twice a month.”

The body of a 19 year old woman being removed from a unit on Hardy Street. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Her body was removed from the unit at 5:20pm and transported to the coroner where it will undergo an autopsy.

The 32-year-old was refused bail to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday and the 34-year-old man was issued a field court attendance notice to appear at Waverley Local Court on Tuesday 18 June 2024.

A post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the woman’s cause of death, with a report to be prepared for the Coroner.

Detectives are continuing to investigate, and have not ruled out “misadventure”.