A former boyfriend of Valerie Reyes, the New York woman found dead inside of a suitcase discovered off the side of a road in Connecticut, was arrested in connection to her death.
Javier de Silva was arrested on Feb. 12, a week after the suitcase was found in Greenwich.
Law enforcement sources told the Greenwich Time that de Silva is an ex-boyfriend of Reyes.
Greenwich police Capt. Robert Berry said in a statement that detectives arrested a suspect in New York who had illegally used Reyes’ ATM card.
“The arrested individual is also believed to be involved in the death of Valerie. Additional information on the suspect and charges will be released by the New Rochelle Police Department,” he said late Tuesday morning.
Greenwich officials said that authorities examined multiple crime scenes, conducted numerous interviews, analyzed social media posts, and watched hundreds of hours of surveillance footage in the investigation.
The New Rochelle Police Department confirmed the arrest, reported WABC. Law enforcement sources told the outlet that DeSilva, who was arrested in the borough of Queens on Monday night, made admissions in the death, including telling officers that it occurred in New Rochelle.
According to Reyes’ mother, her daughter became paranoid and spoke to her about her fears on Jan. 28, the night before she vanished.
Police were continuing to work to identify the body of an adult woman found dead on the side of the Glenville Road, as they issued another request for any information on the case from the public.
Gepostet von Greenwich Time am Mittwoch, 6. Februar 2019
“She was very scared, very frightened,” Sanchez told the Rockland/Westchester Journal News. “She didn’t mention anything or no one specific. She just said, ‘I’m scared. I’m paranoid, mommy. I’m getting anxiety attacks.’ She was having a hard time talking.”
According to the New York Police Department, Reyes suffered from depression and anxiety.
Sanchez said that she tried to pinpoint the source of her daughter’s anxiety but failed. “I asked about her ex-boyfriend. And she said, ‘No,’” Sanchez said. Reyes and her ex broke up on Jan. 24.
Reyes did tell her mother what turned out to be true: “’I’m afraid someone is going to murder me.”
After she vanished, her family hired a private investigator to look for her. The investigator found surveillance footage that showed Reyes at an ATM in the Manhattan at 2 a.m. on Jan. 30. Sanchez said the family isn’t sure why she traveled to the city and it now appears that the card was actually used by Silva.
#MissingPerson Have you seen VALERIE REYES? 5′ 3″, black hair, brown eyes, 1/2 sleeve tattoo on left arm. Last seen wearing a green coat, black jeans, and black shoes. Suffers from anxiety and depression. pic.twitter.com/vxvXi40fiV
— NYPD Midtown North (@NYPDMTN) January 31, 2019
Hey everyone my cousin Valerie Reyes has been missing for two days. Her last known location was at Gouverneur medical center in the city. Please keep an eye out for her. As well as a retweet to spread the word. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/DQz8kkLW6v
— jorge reyes (@Jrys96) January 31, 2019
According to the Hartford Courant, a man who identified himself as Reyes’ boyfriend wrote before she was found dead that people should contact him if they had any information about her disappearance. It wasn’t clear if it was Silva.
“My girlfriend Valerie is now officially reported as a missing person nationwide by the authorities. Please contact me if there is ANY kind of information,” the man wrote in a tweet that was not linked by the outlet.
Autopsy results are pending in the case while a funeral for her has been scheduled for Wednesday, with a viewing on Tuesday.
A GoFundMe fundraiser for Reyes has raised nearly $30,000, prompting a thank you from her grateful mother.
“I could never thank you all enough for your compassion, love and genuine support,” Norma Sanchez wrote in an update on the fundraiser page. “I’m beyond grateful for every single of you whom with love, donated. I feel your heartfelt condolences. Losing a child is every parents worst nightmare!!”
