Guilty Plea Entered In Valerie Reyes Homicide Case: Greenwich PD

GREENWICH, CT — Exactly a year after her body was found in a suitcase on the side of Glenville Road in Greenwich, a guilty plea has been entered in the homicide case of 24-year-old Valerie Reyes, according to Greenwich Police.

On Wednesday, Javier E. DaSilva-Rojas, 25, of Flushing, N.Y., appeared in federal court in White Plains, N.Y., where he pleaded guilty to the charge of kidnapping resulting in death, police announced in a prepared statement. He is scheduled for sentencing in May and is "expected to be sentenced to at least 30 years in prison," police said.

Reyes' deceased body was found on Feb. 5, 2019. Police said the young New Rochelle resident had been reported missing by her family in New York.

Greenwich detectives worked collaboratively with New Rochelle Police, the Westchester County Forensics Investigation Unit and other law enforcement agencies to identify DaSilva-Rojas as a suspect in the case, police said. He was later arrested by police in New York on Feb. 12, 2019.

As part of the lengthy investigation, police examined "multiple crime scenes, hundreds of hours of surveillance footage and numerous interviews of potential witnesses," police said. Social media footprints and records from a variety of sources were also analyzed, police said.

"Although justice has been served, we remain saddened by the loss of Valerie and sincerely hope that her family will find peace and a sense of closure to this tragedy," Chief of Police James Heavey said in a statement.

According to the Norwalk Hour, the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner revealed in May that Reyes died of "homicidal asphyxia," or a lack of oxygen.

See also: More Details Emerge In Greenwich Suitcase Homicide Case

• Cause Of Death Revealed In Greenwich Suitcase Murder: Report

The department encourages anyone involved in "an abusive or dangerous relationship" to reach to the YWCA at (203) 622-0003 or at ywcagreenwich.org. Counselors are available 24/7 and their assistance is confidential.