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00:14She was a very good artist.
00:18Her apartment was very clean, but there was a broken wine glass on the floor.
00:28This girl fought for her life.
00:32There was blood in the tub, blood in the sink.
00:37The suspect was known to the victim or was let in willingly.
00:44We looked at the surveillance images.
00:47They were dressed head to toe in black.
00:52She was on different dating apps and social media.
00:57He's with us, he's looking, he's showing real emotions.
01:01But he was the last person that saw her.
01:05Smartphones have a treasure trove of information.
01:08People do things on their smartphones that they will not confess to their parish priest.
01:15The police were able to follow this vehicle using surveillance cameras.
01:22Her friend said, in her apartment, over her bed, did you see the portrait?
01:30That's him.
01:32He's the guy.
01:35He did it.
01:51Greenwich, Connecticut.
01:52Beverly Hills of the East Coast.
01:56It is the best of the best, beautiful homes right on the water.
02:02A wealthy enclave, a lot of celebrities and heads of corporations, yacht clubs, golf clubs,
02:10large mansions on 10 acre plots.
02:13Greenwich is the home to the Rockefellers.
02:16Homicides are very rare.
02:19That kind of thing usually doesn't happen.
02:24On the morning of February 5th, 2019, shortly after 8 a.m.,
02:31workers riding in the Department of Public Works truck noticed a red suitcase discarded on the side of the road
02:38in the backyard of a wealthy estate.
02:40They pull over, grab the handle of the suitcase.
02:43It was very heavy.
02:46This guy believed that there was something good in it and decided to open it.
02:56A few minutes later, they call 911.
03:02Everyone went lights and sirens to the scene.
03:06Myself and the detective lieutenant responded to the area.
03:12We blocked the road for a good five miles in each direction.
03:19There were news helicopters overhead filming.
03:23Everybody knew something bad had just occurred.
03:31The area was off to the side of the road and backyard of a very wealthy mansion.
03:38There were small trees and branches camouflaging the discovery of the suitcase itself.
03:45When we approach the suitcase,
03:49we see the body of a lifeless girl.
03:54The victim was frozen.
03:58She was folded up into a fetal position.
04:04Her hands behind her back, hog-tied with twine.
04:12In my 20 years,
04:16to have the body of a young female stuffed into a suitcase was pretty shocking.
04:25Ice crystals and ice around the nose and the mouth.
04:29That indicated she was breathing when she was inside that suitcase.
04:34There was trauma around her head area and her cheeks.
04:39A contusion on her forehead.
04:42It looked like a golf ball.
04:44She also had abrasions on her hands.
04:47Broken fingernails.
04:49She had a t-shirt on.
04:51It said, Amir Lavi.
04:53Love of life.
04:57She took a beating and this girl fought for her life.
05:01This was a beautiful young lady you could see.
05:07Somebody loved this girl.
05:10She was someone's daughter.
05:14Where did she come from?
05:16Who did this?
05:35New Rochelle, it's a small town.
05:39Full of parks.
05:41Beautiful town to live in.
05:43Means everything to me.
05:51We're not a big family.
05:53It was my four kids and I.
05:56My two older ones.
05:59Valerie and Sal.
06:02I was 21 when I had Val.
06:07I didn't know if it was going to be a boy or a girl.
06:09I just felt like my baby had to be a Valerie.
06:14It fit her perfect.
06:17It means valor, valuable.
06:20She became my best friend as a newborn.
06:27My son, Sal, is just a year and a few months younger than her.
06:33She was 14 months older.
06:36We had a lot of fun growing up.
06:38She was the bossy one.
06:39I kind of just did whatever she said.
06:46Val had that maternal instinct with him.
06:49You know, always taking care of him and guiding him.
06:57Divorce is hard on kids.
07:00When her dad moved out of the house, Val was like around 10.
07:04She was very devastated.
07:07Our dad was always in our life.
07:09We have a great relationship with him.
07:10But not having a father in a household is different than having a father.
07:15She loved her dad.
07:17Before the separation, Val didn't even know what depression was.
07:22She never showed any signs of unhappiness.
07:25It was hard for her, but she just went through panic attacks, through depression.
07:30But she really wanted to be happy.
07:33That's why I always say she was a warrior.
07:38She had that artistic soul, that ability to paint and create.
07:46Like, I was just always so infatuated with drawing.
07:50Val just loved drawing too.
07:52She was just very talented, like very talented.
07:56She worked hard Monday through Friday, even Saturdays.
07:59But Sundays are a family day.
08:03It was simple things.
08:05Going to the park, to the movies.
08:08I felt always blessed.
08:13She mentioned she wanted to move out.
08:20It was a little crappy, tiny apartment, but she just made it so her.
08:24I would just sometimes go there and just hang out.
08:27She was like one of the few people that I just loved doing that with.
08:31I remember her calling.
08:34She had broken up with John, her boyfriend.
08:36They had been together a few months.
08:39She was in love with him, but she felt like it was going too quick.
08:43And she was a little bit, you know, nervous because he wasn't staying over anymore.
08:48She's alone in her apartment.
08:51She tells me I'm having panic attacks.
08:53I'm feeling very, very scared.
08:57I'm confused.
08:58I'm like, okay, I know she broke up with John, but what is actually going on?
09:04And I said, mommy, just come and spend the night.
09:08And she refused.
09:09Then I said, everything's going to be okay.
09:11If you need me, you know, you can call me.
09:22The following day, I called her at eight in the morning and she didn't pick up.
09:27And I called her at 10, nothing.
09:31And I did kind of get that little feeling.
09:34Why isn't she picking up?
09:36Why isn't she calling me back?
09:39I remember calling Sal and Sal went to get his dad.
09:46I wasn't worried.
09:48I was just thinking this typical mom stuff.
09:50But after a while, it was obviously starting to get weird.
09:53Couldn't get in touch with her.
09:54They went to her apartment.
09:58They met John, her ex-boyfriend.
10:01He was heading over there to apologize to Val.
10:05Your sister's missing.
10:06Here comes her boyfriend with flowers.
10:10They called me.
10:11They're like, she's not here.
10:13Sal tells me there's glass on the floor and the only thing that are missing are bed sheets.
10:21You don't want to think the worst.
10:26It's like, what's going on with my daughter?
10:28Like, what's happening?
10:31That night was probably one of the worst nights because the not knowing I slept in her basement.
10:37You know, she got home.
10:38I wanted to be like the first one to see her.
10:43The very next day, we went to her job.
10:46She wasn't there.
10:49Panic started soon, Sue.
10:53Her ex-boyfriend was able to log into her email.
10:57There was activity from Chase.
10:59We're like, okay, so she's alive.
11:02It was weird.
11:03We don't know where she is.
11:05You just broke up.
11:06In the back of our minds, it's like, could you have anything to do with it?
11:14We decided to go to the police and make a report.
11:20We told them she has been hospitalized for her mental health.
11:24Teenage years, they took it very serious.
11:27My family started with the posters.
11:30They went around New Rochelle, the train station.
11:34I posted on Instagram.
11:36They got a lot of attention.
11:37Thousands of shares.
11:38I was just thinking, why are you doing this, Val?
11:41I was worried.
11:43We started calling hospitals.
11:45We thought she was getting mental help for herself.
11:48They wouldn't give answers because it's private.
11:53I was nervous.
11:54I was scared.
11:55She's gone through depression and there's a breakup.
11:59It gives us too much for her because she have taken her own life.
12:08He and Valerie had argued the day before she went missing.
12:13We see glowing areas of blood on the wall and a few drops on the mattress.
12:20Something had happened to Valerie here.
12:24We see glowing areas of blood on the wall and a few drops on the wall and a few drops
12:39on the wall.
12:43January 30th, 2019, Valerie Reyes had not returned home.
12:51The Reyes family became concerned.
12:55They contacted the nurse show police department and reported her missing.
13:01Her mother related that Valerie had issues with anxiety.
13:07They were concerned she could have harmed herself.
13:13I called hospitals and they wouldn't give any answers because it's private.
13:20The family had started to gather telephone information, cell phone data on Valerie as well as banking records.
13:31Police detectives began doing traces on her banking information.
13:38They saw someone draining her bank account of several thousand dollars.
13:43Something was very suspicious.
13:50Detectives request banking information from all of the withdrawal points and the ATM locations.
13:56We then start to interview people closest to her.
14:03John told the investigators he and Valerie had argued the day before she went missing.
14:12He was upset that she was seeking more freedom in their relationship.
14:17He did not want that.
14:18He said he had actually left a bouquet of flowers at her door.
14:23He also had passwords for Valerie's banking information.
14:29When he's released, all of this was looking very suspicious to the investigators.
14:35Every single day I would message her.
14:42Please come back.
14:46You mean everything to me.
15:04I was notified by my detective lieutenant that there was a body in a suitcase.
15:26As we approached the scene, I looked down the embankment, I could see the suitcase.
15:35We approached and see the victim.
15:42She was a young 20-year-old female, medium-length black hair, several tattoos.
15:49She was taped with this packing tape from her chin up to the top of her nose and wrapped multiple
15:59times.
16:00The days leading up to the discovery of the body had been frigid.
16:06We had several days of single-digit temperatures.
16:09The body was literally frozen.
16:12The medical examiner arrived at 11 a.m.
16:17We removed the victim from the suitcase and examined the body.
16:24She had ice crystals about her face and neck and her bare feet.
16:31We noticed her hands had some minor abrasions on them, a fingernail broken on one of the hands.
16:38This girl fought for her life.
16:47We had received information on the Greenwich Police Department, a social media account that indicated there was a missing female
16:57from New Rochelle, New York, named Valerie Reyes.
17:02Valerie Reyes appeared to have similar physical descriptions and several similar tattoos.
17:13At the medical examiner's office, we obtained very clear, identifiable photos of numerous tattoos that the female had on her
17:26body.
17:27Then we asked to meet with the family.
17:32That night, I get a call.
17:35They were telling me they found a body.
17:38Well, me and my dad get to City Hall.
17:41They bring us into the room and separate us.
17:45They showed me a picture of her arm, of her tattoo.
17:48It was our last name.
17:50That's when I knew.
17:53He immediately burst out into tears, screaming, punching walls, saying, that's my sister, that's my sister.
18:02It was terrible.
18:04It was just the worst day of my life.
18:08I am shattered.
18:12It's like my entire soul just went numb.
18:18We now know who this female was.
18:23Now we can center all of our investigative machine into solving this.
18:30Who had access to her?
18:32Where did this occur?
18:37Valerie's family led us into the apartment.
18:42Left at the door was a large garbage bag that was filled with all of her ex-boyfriend John's clothes.
18:52Her laptop and cell phone were also missing.
18:58The family had also indicated there was a broken wine glass on the floor, which her father had cleaned up.
19:07As we looked further within her apartment, one of our officers observed a small drop of blood on a wall
19:17and another drop of blood on the comforter.
19:22Something had happened to Valerie here.
19:26This was a crime scene.
19:45On February 5th, 2019, road workers found a suitcase buried in a wooded backyard.
19:55Folded up into a fetal position inside this red suitcase was Valerie Reyes, a young female missing from New York.
20:10Our team of investigators go through that apartment with a fine-tooth comb.
20:17We had photos of every inch of that apartment.
20:21We then decided to search using luminol.
20:28When we apply the luminol, we see glowing areas of blood on the wall.
20:36There was a lot of blood in the tub.
20:39Blood in the sink.
20:42So much that you could clearly make out a handprint.
20:48The areas that reacted with the luminol were collected to determine whose blood it was.
20:56There were no signs that there was any forced entry.
21:00The suspect was either known to Valerie or was let in willingly.
21:06So Greenish detectives zeroed in on Valerie Reyes' ex-boyfriend, John.
21:12John indicated that he and Valerie had argued the day before she went missing.
21:19He had packed up all his belongings in a garbage bag.
21:23She was done with him.
21:25Another red flag was that he knew Valerie's login for her banking information, as well as several other social media
21:33apps.
21:35Reviewing some of Valerie's social media, we learned Valerie had actually blocked John from contacting her.
21:43This immediately piqued our interest.
21:46We have an ex-boyfriend who does not take rejection well, is trying to get back with Valerie, leaving her
21:53flowers.
21:57We asked him to provide his cell phone records and give us access to his cell phone.
22:03We also asked him for his DNA and fingerprints immediately for comparison.
22:10We had to look further into all of these details to either include him as a person of interest or
22:16try to eliminate him as a suspect.
22:22We went to her job obtaining video footage of when she left work on January 28th and took a bus
22:33back home to Nershell.
22:35We checked that to see if there's anyone she came across that seemed suspicious or out of the ordinary.
22:43There's nothing.
22:49We started questioning her friends and family about her dating history.
22:54We interviewed her mother.
22:57Who else is a suspect?
23:00Honestly, John, yes, right away, right?
23:03You think because that's the person that had that romantic relationship with my daughter.
23:09But he's with us. He's looking. He's showing real emotions.
23:15Valerie's mother gave us access to Valerie's cell phone account.
23:20Smartphones have a treasure trove of information.
23:23People will do things on their smartphones that they will not confess to their parish priest.
23:29Then we reached out to one of Valerie's friends named Naomi.
23:33Naomi, she knew pretty much all of Valerie's life.
23:37Naomi gave us a list of people that Valerie had dated at the time.
23:43There was a guy named Joe who was a mechanic and there was a guy named Javier.
23:50She was dating on different dating apps and social media. She was very social.
23:58This really expanded the number of suspects that could be her killer.
24:05At this point, all options are on the table.
24:11Looking at Valerie's phone information, we saw that on January 29th, her phone was put into airplane mode at around
24:193 o'clock in the morning.
24:21Afterwards, we see that there were several withdrawals of Valerie's money from her bank accounts.
24:28At this point, it became even more important to find out through bank surveillance video who was making those withdrawals.
24:36Was it Valerie? Or was it someone else?
24:44Neurochelle Police Department obtained bank surveillance images.
24:48As we looked further that the surveillance images, something was wrong.
24:56They were dressed head to toe in black clothing and covering their face.
25:02It appeared to be a male that was withdrawing the money.
25:07That was not Valerie Reyes taking that money out.
25:10This guy may be involved in killing Valerie.
25:17The FBI gets involved. She was abducted, kidnapped, and moved out of state.
25:25We knew that he freed the country and we wouldn't get our hands on him.
25:45The investigation at this point is zeroing in on this unknown male making ATM withdrawals from Valerie Reyes' bank account.
25:55The initial withdrawal was from the Neurochelle bank about January 29th, about 5 a.m. in the morning.
26:02The guy enters the bank disguising his face.
26:06He makes the withdrawal from the bank. He then exits into a small black SUV.
26:12The Neurochelle Police Department were able to follow this vehicle using surveillance cameras.
26:20They were able to get a license plate off the license plate reader within the city.
26:28This is a huge moment in the investigation.
26:32The registration information returned to a car sharing app.
26:35It was a black CRV. It was a zip rental car out of Queens, New York City.
26:42We then served the rental company with a subpoena to get the rental information.
26:47A short time later, we obtained the DNA results from the Westchester County Forensic Lab.
26:55The DNA results that were sampled from the bathroom area indicated a mixture between Valerie and an unknown contributor.
27:05This eliminates the ex-boyfriend, John, as a suspect.
27:09This leads to further questions as to the identity of this unknown male.
27:14We now focus solely on who's driving the vehicle.
27:19We obtained the rental information for the Honda CRV and learned that the name of the renter is named Marco.
27:26We run license information for Marco.
27:30His general physical characteristics are consistent with the unknown man making the withdrawals on Valerie's ATM bank account.
27:39Finding Marco was top of the list to do.
27:44We learned from the rental car agency that the exact times that this rental car was rented out matched the
27:53exact times that Valerie went missing.
27:57But then we obtained the entire rental information.
28:04His rental agreement listed names of other drivers.
28:09We began to scour through that information.
28:12We saw the name of Javier.
28:15Javier.
28:18That immediately clicked in my mind as a person that Valerie had dated before.
28:25I reached back out to her friend Naomi.
28:30She said Valerie broke it off with Javier about a year earlier.
28:36That made him very upset to the point where Valerie had to block him on her phone so that he
28:42couldn't contact her.
28:44I felt he was the guy at that moment and told her we needed a photo of Javier to confirm
28:51it.
28:53Naomi had asked me if I had been in her apartment.
28:57I said, yes.
28:58She said, well, over her bed, did you see the portrait that she drew of me?
29:04I said, yes.
29:05She said, well, beneath that was a portrait of Javier that Valerie had drawn.
29:11Naomi then took the further step of finding Javier on his social media account.
29:19And I immediately recognized the profile picture being the same sketch that I had seen when I was processing Valerie's
29:26apartment.
29:27That was an amazing moment.
29:32That's him.
29:33He's the guy.
29:35He did it.
29:37Javier, who Valerie had dated, was the same Javier listed on the rental agreement.
29:47After reviewing a background investigation on Javier Da Silva, we learned Javier was a Venezuelan nationality.
29:58He had come into the United States on a student visa, which he had overstayed.
30:03There was currently a deportation order for him.
30:11We obtained the surveillance video from that rental location.
30:17We were able to see the unknown male from the ATM withdrawals without his face covered.
30:23That photo was Javier Da Silva Rojas.
30:30We had to make sure that the timeline matched up 100%.
30:37There was a big disagreement about going and interviewing Marco Padro.
30:44The decision was made to go and arrest Javier on the deportation charges and interview Marco Padro after Javier's arrest.
30:58We immediately sent a surveillance team down to the apartment building that was listed on the rental car agreement.
31:07There was a big concern we could spook Javier Da Silva into running.
31:13I was very nervous.
31:16He knows he's an overstay already.
31:18We knew he would flee the country and we wouldn't get our hands on him.
31:38Detectives have identified a man who may believe abducted and brutally murdered Valerie Reyes.
31:45A young, outgoing girl found in Connecticut tied up in a suitcase.
31:54The FBI gets involved because we believe that she was abducted, kidnapped and moved out of state.
32:01And we had a concern, the suspect Javier Da Silva Rojas, the Venezuelan nationals at risk for fleeing the country.
32:09The vehicle that Javier Da Silva rented was identified.
32:15Now we have to find this guy.
32:19Using the rental records, we were able to track Javier Da Silva Rojas to the location of Queens, New York.
32:29There was probably six buildings that housed five to 600 apartments in each.
32:38It was a big undertaking.
32:41We had to put eyes on him at that building.
32:48February 11th of 2019, late at night, my surveillance team observed Javier doing laundry in the laundromat.
33:01The officers ran over to grab him.
33:05Javier was arrested on the varsity and deportation order.
33:14He was brought back to the Nerschel Police Department, where he was placed in an interview room.
33:21Marco was interviewed after Javier's arrest.
33:26It turned out that Marco worked as a security guard in the building.
33:33We learned he would rent out these zip cars to other tenants of the building under his name.
33:42And that was his only involvement.
33:45At that point, we were able to eliminate Marco from the investigation.
33:50We did a search warrant on Javier's apartment, and we were able to get his phone.
33:55We did a search warrant on his phone.
33:58During the search, they actually found Valerie's identification and credit card in his apartment.
34:07We interviewed Javier on February 12th, and he stated that he had found a card on the sidewalk in New
34:17York City.
34:20He had also found a PIN number, and that he did withdraw money from that bank account.
34:29The investigators showed Javier the name to that bank account was Valerie Reyes.
34:40They asked him if he knew her.
34:42He said no, we knew he was lying.
34:47We had that picture of Javier that Valerie had drawn of him.
34:53The investigators told Javier that, yes, you did know her.
34:59Matter of fact, you had dated her, and we know that.
35:03Well, then they showed the photo of Valerie when she was found.
35:11At that point, he backtracks, and he started minimizing like most people in that position would do.
35:22He stated that they had consensual sex, and she had fallen and hit her head.
35:33As she was unconscious, he said he checked her for breath, she wasn't breathing.
35:39At that point, he saw a red suitcase outside, grabbed the suitcase, brought it in, tied up Valerie, and taped
35:48her.
35:48Did you cover her mouth?
35:50Yes.
35:50With what?
35:51With a tape.
35:52And placed her into the suitcase.
35:54You were trying to fit her with a bag?
35:56Yeah.
35:57I didn't want to do any bathroom here.
35:59We don't believe when he says that they had consensual sex.
36:03You had sex on the couch or on the bed?
36:05I'm leaving the room.
36:06And that she fell and hit her head.
36:09She had a large hematoma to the forehead, multiple cuts at her hands.
36:15She fought for her life.
36:16If he thought she was dead, you don't have to tape her mouth.
36:22He taped her from her chin to the top of her nose with packing tape.
36:28If she's unconscious, knocked out, or dead, you don't have to do that.
36:35I'm certain that this is a murder.
36:38But in order to prove the federal crime of kidnapping, we still had to establish that
36:42she was moved out of state and alive in New York and had died in the state of Connecticut.
36:50Ultimate penalty for this in the statute is the death penalty.
36:54We needed proof beyond a reasonable doubt what he did in order to put him away.
36:59If you plan to do this, you're going to be in jail for a long time.
37:16Prime suspect Javier De Silva Rojas attempted to tell investigators that Valerie Reyes' death was an accident.
37:26But the evidence photos don't lie.
37:28He beat her, bound her, stuffed her in a suitcase.
37:34Federal murder charges are hard to come by.
37:37In order to make it a federal kidnapping resulting in a murder case,
37:41we need to now prove that he took her across state lines.
37:45So we had to establish that she was alive in New York and had died in the state of Connecticut.
37:59Key evidence in this case might be the autopsy.
38:05We have to go examine the body.
38:08On the day that she was found, it was probably the coldest four or five days span.
38:16When we moved the body, there were still ice crystals and ice formed around the nose and the mouth.
38:23And because of the cold weather, they had a way for the body to thaw.
38:28The ME found crystallization in her lungs. She had fluid in her lungs that froze.
38:34That indicated that she was still alive when she was stuffed inside that suitcase.
38:40The ME determined she asphyxiated, unable to breathe, tied up in the suitcase.
38:49That showed she was alive in New York and died in the state of Connecticut.
38:56All those little things were real important because if you don't hit all those elements, we don't have a charge.
39:03The Southern District of New York assigned an assistant United States attorney immediately to this case.
39:09We sit down with whatever evidence we have.
39:11On the day of January 28th, 2019, Valerie left her job.
39:16She spoke with her mother. She went to bed.
39:20About 10.30 on the 28th of January,
39:23Harriar was caught on surveillance camera leaving the hallway of his apartment.
39:30He went to rent a car approximately five minutes away.
39:36Heavyard then puts the GPS coordinates of New Rochelle into his phone and then he drove to New Rochelle and
39:44turned his phone off.
39:46He went up there to try to rob her.
39:49Her. He's like a predator.
39:50You see somebody that's vulnerable.
39:52She had approximately $5,300 in the bank.
39:59During that time, a violent struggle ensued.
40:04Valerie fought back.
40:07Harveyard beat her, which rendered her unconscious.
40:13At that point, Harveyard used her fingerprint to access her iPad.
40:18He said, I'd tape her mouth to stop her from screaming and yelling out.
40:23He put her in a suitcase and he leaves the apartment, kidnapping her.
40:29And then he buried the suitcase in Connecticut.
40:35She was alive in New York when he put the duct tape around her mouth, then stuffed her in a
40:42suitcase.
40:44And he proceeded over a five-day period to do numerous ATM withdrawals and basically cleaned out her bank account.
40:52Larceny and greed was certainly a primary motive.
40:56His digital footprint does place him in all parts of this crime.
41:01From the initial stages to the rental of the car, to where Valerie was eventually found in Connecticut.
41:14We know that Harveyard DeSilva Rojas committed this crime.
41:19This case does not go to trial.
41:22There's a plea agreement.
41:24He would plead guilty to kidnapping with the result of murder and be sentenced to 360 months, 30 years in
41:33prison.
41:38She was 24 years old, just starting her life.
41:42I took it very personal.
41:45We barely slept.
41:47And we were going to solve it no matter what.
41:51I knew she was someone's loved one and we needed to bring justice for a family.
42:01There's moments where I just feel like my entire soul is pouring out and I can't stop.
42:08I always say she's my star, my shooting star.
42:13I want people to remember that she was a resilient soul.
42:18And no matter how tough her life was, at one point she pushed through.
42:25She pushed through.
42:30She pushed through.
42:47It could happen once again.
42:47She stopped to tribune.
42:47But she was very careful Kakashi, now.
42:47Have you ever with one?
42:48Do the best?
42:48Because I want all the time in my leg to see her own car house, I can stabалась with her.
42:48I can't stop here.
42:48I was 28 years old that I showed you now.
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