WATERBURY- Last Tuesday night, Nov. 12, at approximately 8:45, was the last time Janet Avalo-Alvarez, 26, was seen. And Waterbury Police now say her boyfriend is a primary person of interest.
Late last Wednesday night, Nic. 13, after receiving the missing persons report from one of Avalo-Álvarez‘s friends and coworkers, police performed a welfare check at the residence on Ayer St. in Waterbury that she shares with her boyfriend, Alfredo Peguero-Gomez, who was the only one home.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo says the boyfriend told investigating officers he didn’t know where his girlfriend was.
However, roughly an hour after investigators left the home, police say surveillance video showed Peguero-Gomez leaving the neighborhood in his Toyota Corolla. Then, about an hour and a half after that?
“This 2010 Toyota Corolla, color gray, with a Connecticut reg, traveled over the lower level of the southbound lane of the George Washington Bridge,” said Waterbury Police Lt. David Silverio.
And, a day later, the same car was spotted in a parking garage at Newark International Airport. Friends say both Avalo-Álvarez and Peguero Gomes are natives of the Dominican Republic.
Police would not say if they thought that is where Peguero-Gomez headed.
“We are reviewing a lot of electronica surveillance at this time from a number of different areas,” said Spagnolo.
Late Monday morning, friends, and those who didn’t even know the missing woman, conducted their own search of heavily wooded Hamilton Park, which is less than a mile from the Guakara Taina, a bar that the missing woman and her boyfriend own.
“There’s like hidden spots (in the park), said a friend of Avalo-Alvarez, Elizabeth Torres. “There’s certain areas that are darker at night. Certain areas that are easier to you know do things at.”
“This morning I woke up in the cold and I just thought to myself it’s freezing like we need to find her,” said Madelyn Reyes. “I was compelled to kind of come and see what I can do.”
Police said they have custody of Peguero-Gomez’s car. They would not say what sort of evidence, if any, they found in it.