After approximately three months of evading capture, Geovanni Otero, a man wanted in connection with the death of his girlfriend in Philadelphia, has been arrested in New York. The arrest occurred on Saturday after New York State Troopers were attempting to address a car reported as stolen from Virginia. According to CBS News, Otero complied initially, but then fled, leading to a brief police chase that ended with the stolen vehicle's crash.
The 29-year-old suspect attempted to elude officers on foot after the crash but was apprehended a short distance from the scene. Otero presented multiple fake forms of identification post-arrest. His true identity was later confirmed through fingerprint analysis, revealing he was wanted by Philadelphia police, and the U.S. Marshals Service on homicide charges, as CBS News detailed.
Melody Rivera, Otero's 29-year-old girlfriend, was found bludgeoned to death in a shallow grave in Philadelphia's Fox Chase neighborhood on Nov 7. As reported by FOX 5 NY, Otero was on parole at the time, and a GPS-tracking ankle monitor he was wearing allowed detectives to establish him as a person of interest in the case.
Otero is now facing a series of charges, including criminal possession of stolen property, obstructing governmental administration, false impersonation, unlawful fleeing, and reckless driving. He will remain in custody, awaiting extradition to Philadelphia. The Philadelphia police had initially offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to Otero's arrest, with an additional $5,000 added by the U.S. Marshals.
Rivera left behind an 11-year-old daughter and was remembered by her family as "kind, funny, and loving," according to their statement obtained by FOX 5 NY. Otero's arraignment is set for Monday, where he will answer to his aforementioned charges, and proceedings for his extradition will continue.
