Man wanted in connection with girlfriend's death in Philadelphia found in New York after 3 months on the run
After three months of evading law enforcement, Geovanni Otero, a Philadelphia man wanted in connection with the death of his girlfriend Melody Rivera, was arrested by police in Greenburgh, New York, on Saturday.
New York police pulled Otero over on Friday because they were trying to stop a car that was reported stolen out of Virginia. Authorities said while Otero complied at first, he then sped off, leading to a police pursuit that lasted about a minute and ended in the stolen vehicle crashing. Otero tried running from police on foot, but New York troopers caught and arrested him.
Otero gave New York police multiple fake forms of identification after he was arrested. The 29-year-old man was then brought to Westchester Medical Center for injuries he sustained in the car crash.
Authorities discovered Otero's true identity through fingerprint analysis and found he was wanted by Philadelphia police and the U.S. Marshals Service on homicide charges following Rivera's death. The 29-year-old man is still in custody and awaiting extradition to Philadelphia.
Otero is also awaiting arraignment on Monday for criminal possession of stolen property, obstructing governmental administration, false impersonation, unlawful fleeing and reckless driving.
Philly police, U.S. Marshals search for Geovanni Otero
Philadelphia police offered a $20,000 reward for information that led to an arrest and conviction for Otero. Weeks later, the U.S. Marshals joined the manhunt, offering an additional $5,000 reward for information leading to Otero's arrest.
Otero was charged with murdering 29-year-old Melody Rivera, whose body was found partially decomposed in the 900 block of Tustin Road in the city's Fox Chase neighborhood on Nov. 7, according to police.
In a news release detailing Otero's arrest, New York police said Rivera had been found bludgeoned to death in a shallow grave.
Philadelphia police issued a warrant for murder and other related charges for Otero's arrest on Nov. 27. Otero already previously had a warrant out for his arrest after violating his parole, police said.
