Valerie Reyes' Ex Charged: 'She Died During Sex & I Stuffed Her Body In A Suitcase'

GREENWICH, CT — The man who has been charged with killing Valerie Reyes admitted to police that he stuffed her body into a red suitcase and dumped it in Connecticut — but claims that she died during a sex romp gone wrong.

Javier Da Silva admitted that he then panicked and decided to get rid of Reyes’ body, according to a criminal complaint.

Da Silva was charged on Tuesday in White Plains federal court with kidnapping resulting in death. He told detectives that Reyes was his ex-girlfriend, and that they had slept together at her basement apartment in New Rochelle on January 29. Reyes’ mother told police that the two had not seen each other for a year, according to court papers.

Reyes, who worked at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Eastchester, went missing that morning.

Da Silva claims that during the sexual encounter, Reyes fell on the floor and hit her head. He said that he then made the decision to seal her mouth with packing tape, bind her arms and legs, and stuff her body into a red suitcase, according to the documents.

He then stated that he drove around for a while before disposing of Reyes' body near a road in Greenwich, where it was found on February 5.

Reyes was found barefoot, her shirt was unbuttoned, and her hands were bound behind her back with a white string and packing tape, according to the complaint.

Cops got a break when they saw a suspect on camera using Reyes’ ATM card to withdraw $1,000 from her bank account on January 30. Surveillance video showed the man, who was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt over his head, park his Honda across the street before approaching the bank.

Authorities were able to track down the vehicle to a rental car company, and later confirmed that Da Silva had been listed as an authorized driver during the rental period, the complaint said.

"While today's arrest is certainly a welcome conclusion, it in no way alleviates the pain and suffering Valerie's family will continue to feel for years to come. The reality of their situation is utterly unimaginable, as is the crime with which Da Silva is charged," William F. Sweeney Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York field office, said.

Da Silva is a a dual citizen of Venezuela and Portugal, according to authorities. He specifically requested of authorites that they only notify the Portuguese consulate of his charges, but not the Venezuelan embassy.

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