The Puerto Rican boxer Félix Verdejo Sánchez turned himself in to regulation enforcement officers on the island on Sunday night and is going through costs of killing a pregnant lady whose physique washed up in a lagoon on Saturday, the authorities stated.
According to a federal criticism, Mr. Verdejo, a light-weight boxer who represented Puerto Rico on the 2012 Olympic Games in London, is accused of punching the girl, injecting her with “substances,” tying her physique to a block and throwing her from a bridge into the water.
The lady, Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz, disappeared on Friday. Her physique was discovered on Saturday and was recognized via dental data, the Institute of Forensic Science in Puerto Rico stated on Sunday. The police stated in a missing person’s report that Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz had final spoken together with her mom about 7 a.m. native time on Thursday.
The authorities rapidly recognized Mr. Verdejo, 27, as an individual of curiosity in Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz’s disappearance. He was seen on Friday strolling out of the San Juan Criminal Investigation Corps headquarters, in keeping with stories in the Puerto Rican information media. Capt. Luis Díaz Muñoz of the legal investigation corps informed the newspaper El Nuevo Día that Mr. Verdejo was not cooperating with investigators.
According to the federal legal criticism, Mr. Verdejo is going through costs of kidnapping ensuing in dying, carjacking ensuing in dying and killing an unborn baby. The costs carry a most penalty of dying, although no resolution has been made on whether or not to pursue that penalty, in keeping with federal prosecutors.
In the criticism, the Federal Bureau of Investigation relied on info from a witness whom the company describes as an individual “with firsthand, personal knowledge” of what passed off.
Mr. Verdejo, in keeping with this account, contacted the witness “and requested his help to terminate the pregnancy,” the criticism stated. The witness cooperated.
Mr. Verdejo and Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz met on Thursday morning in Mr. Verdejo’s black Durango S.U.V. At one level whereas contained in the automobile, Mr. Verdejo punched her in the face “and she was injected with a syringe filled with substances,” which weren’t specified in the criticism. Then, Mr. Verdejo and the witness tied her arms and toes with wire. They additionally tied a block to her, in keeping with the criticism, and loaded her physique into the automobile she had pushed to fulfill Mr. Verdejo.
The witness and Mr. Verdejo drove each automobiles onto the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge, which spans the San Jose Lagoon, close to San Juan. According to the criticism, they tossed Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz into the water. Then, Mr. Verdejo shot at her with a pistol from the bridge, in keeping with the criticism.
The two males deserted Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz’s automobile, which was discovered a day later. Law enforcement officers had been in a position to make use of cellphone knowledge to piece collectively the place Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz had traveled and with whom she had spoken earlier than she disappeared, in keeping with the criticism.
The info from Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz’s telephone led regulation enforcement officers to Mr. Verdejo, and the bridge, the criticism stated. Surveillance video from the bridge reveals a darkish S.U.V. just like Mr. Verdejo’s parking on the emergency lane of the bridge. It additionally reveals “visible movement of at least one individual on the side of the vehicle.”
Mr. Verdejo was in custody on Sunday night and is anticipated to make his preliminary court docket look on Monday, in keeping with a spokeswoman for the F.B.I.
It was not instantly clear on Sunday night if Mr. Verdejo had a lawyer. He couldn’t be reached for remark.
Mr. Verdejo’s boxing report is 27-2, with 17 knockouts, according to Top Rank, a boxing promotion firm in Las Vegas. Top Rank, which lists Mr. Verdejo as one of its fighters, didn’t reply to a request for touch upon Sunday.
“The thoughts and prayers of Top Rank are with the family and friends of Keishla Marlen Rodríguez Ortiz, and with the people of Puerto Rico in this moment of mourning,” the corporate said in a statement on Saturday night time. “We are profoundly disturbed by the news and will continue to monitor the evolution of the case as it progresses.”
Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz’s mom, Keila Ortiz Rivera, informed El Nuevo Día that when she final spoke together with her daughter on Thursday morning, Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz informed her that Mr. Verdejo was on his solution to meet her to have a look at the outcomes of a being pregnant take a look at she had taken.
“I told her ‘Be careful’ because he had threatened her not to have the baby, that he had his family, that he is a boxer, that he is a public figure,” Ms. Ortiz Rivera informed El Nuevo Día.
Ms. Ortiz Rivera stated she obtained a name at about 9:30 a.m. from her different daughter, who informed her that Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz’s boss had referred to as to say she had not proven up for work.
“For me, that was super strange because she is very responsible about her job,” Ms. Ortiz Rivera stated.
Ms. Ortiz Rivera stated she referred to as Mr. Verdejo to ask about her daughter, and he stated he didn’t know the place she was.
“You’re lying to me — that’s the first lie,” Ortiz Rivera recalled telling him. “She talked to me a little while ago, and told me that you were going to her house when you were done working out.”
