Cause Of Death Of Valerie Reyes Announced

A Connecticut medical examiner has released the cause of death for Valerie Reyes, the 24-year-old New Rochelle woman whose body was found in a suitcase on the side of a road in Greenwich, Connecticut, Feb. 5.

The official cause of death was lack of oxygen, or "homicidal asphyxia," thehour.com said.

Reyes had been reported missing by her family in January.

Her body was found by a Greenwich highway worker about 10 to 15 feet from Glenville Road just north of Stillman Lane.

Police said her hands and feet had been bound and she was clothed.

Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas, 24 of Flushing, was charged Feb. 12 with kidnapping Reyes.

Police said Da Silva told them Reyes had fallen and hit her head in her New Rochelle home and that he stuck packing tape over her mouth, bound her hands and feet and stuffed her in a suitcase, which he dumped in Connecticut, lohud.com said.

He had also used her bank card, authorities said.

Da Silva was in the United States through the Visa Waiver Program and had overstayed his visa.

He is a citizen of Portugal.

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