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A murder suspect from the United States has been arrested in Santiago de Compostela, in northern Spain’s Galicia, after a sharp-eyed local spotted her and tipped off the police. The 28-year-old woman, who was wanted for murder, robbery and desecrating a corpse, was stopped by Spanish police just as she was about to board a flight to Brussels on Thursday June 26.

 

The arrest came after a coordinated operation involving the National Police, Interpol, the US Embassy in Spain and Andorra, and the US Marshals Service. The fugitive had been on the run since April, following the brutal killing of Spanish national Yuleisy Carolina Torrelles-Martínez in Philadelphia.

 

According to US authorities, the suspect stabbed Torrelles-Martínez multiple times during a heated argument in the Frankford Avenue area of Philadelphia on April 5.

 

After the murder, she allegedly tried to set the body on fire using flammable liquids. When that failed, she wrapped the body in a shower curtain and stuffed it inside a futon. She also stole the victim’s passport and money before fleeing the country the next day, flying from Philadelphia to Madrid via Munich.

 

The case went cold until a phone call came in from a resident of Santiago de Compostela. The caller claimed to have seen the suspect in the city and reported the sighting to the police.

 

It turned out the fugitive hadn’t exactly been keeping a low profile and had even spoken openly about being on the run. The caller recognised her from news coverage of the crime, which had made international headlines. The US had also offered a €20,000 reward for information leading to her capture.

 

Police in Santiago began surveillance and confirmed the woman’s identity using security footage and checks at local accommodation. On the day of the arrest, officers followed her as she boarded a bus to the airport. She was detained at the gate just before she could leave the country again.

 

She is now being held in a Galician prison while extradition proceedings are underway. If returned to the US, she’ll face serious charges and a likely trial over what authorities describe as a chilling and calculated murder.

 

 

Image: Interpol