BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. (TCN) — A 27-year-old man accused of killing his girlfriend was arrested in Honduras after an international manhunt.
According to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, the investigation began on March 13 when family members of 23-year-old Maria Bernarda Popol Garcia became concerned after they had not heard from her in a week. Police went to the home, which she shared with Darwin David Espinal-Del Cid, and no one answered the door. They returned the next day and found her body in a closet.
Investigators learned Popol Garcia was attempting to move out in the days before her death. Neighbors allege they heard the couple engaged in a loud argument on March 7, per the DA. Investigators allege Espina-Del Cid slashed Popol-Garcia’s throat and then hid her body in the closet.
According to the DA’s office, Espina-Del Cid then allegedly posed as Popol-Garcia and sent text messages as her to give the impression she was still alive. He allegedly purchased a one-way ticket to Honduras and left the United States on March 9.
Following an international manhunt, Espina-Del Cid was arrested in a coordinated operation with the FBI and Honduran agents on Aug. 17. He is currently behind bars in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, while awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania. Once back in the United States, he will face charges of criminal homicide, possession of an instrument of crime, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, and abuse of a corpse, according to the DA.
Popol Garcia had moved to the United States from Guatemala in search of a better life, according to the DA. She worked at a Latin American restaurant and grocery store.
District Attorney Joe Khan said, “The tragic loss of a young woman on the threshold of her adult life is another sobering reminder of the often lethal nature of domestic violence. … Our hearts break for Maria’s family and loved ones. Distance will not offer refuge to those who commit acts of violence in our community, and we remain relentless in our pursuit of justice for Maria.”
