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"I just lost it when I saw her." Accused killer of NYC jogger gives chilling "explanation".

The man accused of killing 30-year-old jogger Karina Vetrano in New York last August has allegedly revealed he attacked her because he was in a “bad mood”.

The suspect, 20-year-old Chanel Lewis, was arrested and charged with her murder on Sunday.

According to the New York Post, law enforcement officials were told he attacked the runner simply because he was in a bad mood and “lost it”.

Image via Instagram.

"I was angry. I had some issues at home. I just lost it. When I saw her, I just hit her and kept hitting her," he said, according to police sources.

"I hit her and choked her."

Vetrano's body was found by her father, a former firefighter, hours after she was reported missing after heading out for a run on August 2 last year.

Philip Vetrano normally ran with his daughter, but was forced to stay home due to back pain on the night she was murdered.

Police said Lewis told detectives he happened to cross paths with Vetrano while he was walking from his Brooklyn home to get something to eat in Queens.

Vetrano's parents were present at his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on Sunday night.

As the hearing was winding down, Cathie Vetrano leaped to her feet to curse the man charged with murdering her daughter.

Karina Vetrano and her father.

"A savage murder! He f***ing murdered my daughter, my beautiful innocent daughter," she yelled.

"Now your nightmare begins. He's a demon! He should be in hell and burn in hell!"

NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told reporters the suspect made "very detailed, incriminating statements" about "each step of the assault".

He is also due to be charged with sexual assault, although he has denied the claims.

Lewis' DNA matched samples found under Karina's nails, on her back and on her cellphone.

"Karina helped us identify this person," Boyce said.