A man, identified as Junior Perez Diaz, was arrested on Friday and charged with the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Pamela Alcantara, whose body was discovered inside a suitcase beside a highway in Yonkers. The NYPD also charged Diaz with manslaughter and kidnapping in relation to Alcantara’s death and disappearance.
Alcantara, 26, was last seen on surveillance footage from her apartment building in Fordham Heights. Her body was found on Thursday inside a piece of luggage near the Saw Mill River Parkway. Diaz was taken in for questioning after his car was spotted near the location where the body was found.
Family members of Alcantara became concerned when she did not attend a church service on Sunday and reported her missing. They described her as a young woman with her whole life ahead of her and expressed devastation over her tragic death.
Alcantara had recently ended a long-term relationship with Diaz and was in the process of moving out from the apartment where she was believed to have been killed. Family members reported signs of a struggle in the apartment when they visited the location.
A memorial was set up outside the apartment building following the discovery of Alcantara’s body, with neighbors placing candles in her honor. Diaz is currently awaiting his arraignment.
