NEW YORK — Federal immigration authorities say a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and dumping her body in a suitcase in Connecticut is a citizen of Portugal and is in the U.S. illegally.
Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Wednesday that Javier Da Silva Rojas entered the United States in May 2017 through a visa waiver program and was supposed to leave the country later that year.
Da Silva is charged with kidnapping resulting in death in connection with the killing of 24-year-old Valerie Reyes. Her body was found in a suitcase in Greenwich on Feb. 5.
A lawyer for Da Silva declined to comment Wednesday.
People reacted with profanity on Da Silva’s Instagram page.
A funeral for Reyes was held Wednesday in her hometown of New Rochelle, New York.
Read the full statement from ICE below:
Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas, a citizen of Portugal, entered the U.S. May 8, 2017, through the Visa Waiver Program; however, he failed to leave the United States within the required timeframe. He was arrested by federal authorities on felony kidnapping charges Feb. 12 and is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) pending criminal proceedings. ICE lodged a detainer with USMS Feb. 13. Pursuant to the detainer, ICE will aim to take custody of Da Silva for immediate removal when he is released from criminal custody.
