A Philadelphia man wanted in connection with the murder of his girlfriend was captured Saturday after a car chase in Westchester County, police said.
Geovanni Otero, 29, had been on the run for three months following the death of Melody Rivera, also 29, in Philadelphia.
New York state troopers located a vehicle reported stolen out of Virginia on Saturday in Greenburgh, state police said in a press release. The troopers tried to pull the vehicle over, but after an initial slowdown, the driver sped away.
However, the driver only made it about a mile before crashing and taking off on foot, cops said. Troopers quickly arrested the man.
The suspect was only identified as Otero after a fingerprint analysis, according to state police. Otero initially provided several forms of fake identification, but he was fingerprinted and taken to a Westchester hospital for injuries he sustained in the crash, authorities said.
Philadelphia police and U.S. Marshals had offered a combined $25,000 reward for tips leading to Otero’s arrest.
Rivera was found buried in a shallow grave in a North Philadelphia park on Nov. 7, 2024. She had been bludgeoned to death, according to investigators. Otero was one of the last people seen with Rivera and quickly identified as a suspect. A warrant for his arrest was issued in late November.
In New York, Otero was charged with possessing stolen property, false impersonation and fleeing from police. He is awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania.
