A New York City woman named Pamela Alcantara, 26, was last seen on Sunday, March 2, at her home in the Bronx. Four days later, on Thursday, March 6, her body was found stuffed inside a suitcase abandoned off a highway. Her ex-boyfriend, Junior Perez Diaz, 46, was arrested and charged with murder on Friday, March 7.
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According to abc7, Alcantara's body was found inside a red suitcase abandoned on the northbound side of the Saw Mill River Parkway, near the Plamer Road exit. Perez Diaz's vehicle's license plate pinged near the location of the body, so he was put into custody at the 46th precinct where he was questioned at the time.
Search For Pamela
The search for Pamela Alcantara began on Sunday, March 2, as she failed to appear at church.
"She went to church, she went home, she spoke with her mom on a daily basis and she only spent time with church friends and went to work. That was it," Naysa Peguero, Alcantara's causing, told abc7.
Both Naysa and Alcantara's aunt, Isa Peguero, attempted to help Pamela Alcantara move out of the home she shared with Perez Diaz. She had ended the relationship after three years. Both Peguero women even bought a car for her to move out of her apartment located on Morris Avenue. Both cousin and aunt believe that Perez Diaz is the one responsible for her death.
"She was supposed to move, and I think he found out," Isa Peguero said. "He used to put a recorder on the car and recorder in the bedroom so he can know everything what happened, what is she doing?"
According to Isa Peguero, Perez Diaz's alleged control over her also extended to her social media interactions. "I checked her Facebook, I was telling my mom, she doesn't have any pictures up," Naysa said. "The only thing she has was her profile picture up. She wasn't allowed to put any pictures up."
Last Seen And Heard
Naysa Peguero told the outlet that Alcantara had contacted her mother on Thursday, February 27. Through text messages, Alcantara told her mother to pray for her. Three days later, surveillance video showed Alcantara entering the Morris Avenue home on Sunday. She was speaking with her mother by phone. No video footage shows her ever leaving the building afterward.
A day later, on Monday, March 3 Alcantara's family claimed they visited the Morris Avenue apartment. They discovered, as per abc7, argument and struggle signs on Alcantara's and Perez Diaz's bed. Reportedly, police are waiting for a search warrant before they can inspect the Morris Avenue apartment.
Police arrested and charged Junior Perez Dias with murder, manslaughter, and two counts of kidnapping, as per abc7. The investigation continues as touching tributes for Pamela Alcantara have been set up, including a candlelight vigil.
