Valerie Reyes’ Ex-Boyfriend Arrested In Connection To Her Death, NYC Woman’s Body Found Stuffed In A Suitcase
The ex-boyfriend of Valerie Reyes, 24, has been arrested after using one of her ATM cards, police are reporting on Tuesday. Valerie Reyes’ body was found on February 5, stuffed in a suitcase, one which was dumped on the side of a Connecticut road.
Javier DeSilva, 24, is named as the suspect, according to NBC News. After allegedly using one of Reyes’ debit cards, DeSilva was taken into custody in Queens, New York, on Monday night.
According to Greenwich Police Captain Robert Berry, DeSilva has “admitted a role” in Valerie’s death.
“We’re hopeful and confident that the pursuit of justice for Valerie will be successful, and hope this investigation provides some level of closure to the Reyes family,” Robert Berry said.
Valerie’s family had not heard from her since January 28, police in New Rochelle report. She was officially reported missing by her family on January 30. Valerie’s mother, Norma Reyes, recalled that her daughter stated that she feared for her life in the last phone conversation they had shared.
“We don’t even understand. The only thing that’s weird is she was frightened for her life and then somebody ends up taking [her life],” Norma Reyes said.
It is also reported that Valerie lived in the New Rochelle area with her father, and was known to suffer from depression.
On January 28, Valerie Reyes called her mother in a panic, saying, “I feel like somebody’s going to murder me." 8 days later, her body was found in a suitcase in Connecticut. https://t.co/llWlwEdrtM
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 8, 2019
Valerie’s body was found inside a red suitcase, her hands and feet bound. Her body was discovered by highway workers alongside a road in the wealthy town of Greenwich, Connecticut. As yet, her cause of death has not been released.
According to the New York Post, Javier DeSilva was arrested by detectives from both New York and Connecticut. The case has been a multi-state investigation, due to her body being dumped across state lines.
The Greenwich police credit the rapid response to the hard work of a multi-agency investigation. They issued the following statement via their official Twitter account.
“Multiple crime scenes had been examined, hundreds of hours of surveillance footage had been reviewed, and numerous interviews of potential witnesses had been conducted. Additionally, social media footprints and records from a variety of sources have been analyzed… We are confident that the pursuit of justice for Valerie will be successful and we continue to work with the family to provide closure to this tragedy.”
DeSilva is expected to appear in White Plains federal court Tuesday afternoon. The pending charges have not been released to the public. Further details of his arrest are also yet to be released.
