Darwin David Espinal-Del Cid allegedly slit his girlfriend's throat and left her to die in a closet after she told him she was leaving him, according to Pennsylvania authorities. The 27-year-old Telford man has been charged with criminal homicide in the death of 23-year-old Maria Bernarda Popol Garcia, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office announced.
Background
On March 6, Popol Garcia told a co-worker she was moving out from the apartment she shared with Espinal-Del Cid and began transporting her belongings to a new residence. Just before midnight that same day, the couple were inside a rideshare vehicle having an argument when she "decided to break up with him and told him that," Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan said at a press conference.
The pair headed back to their apartment on the 100 block of North Main Street in Telford, Pennsylvania, where Popol Garcia was going to gather her belongings. At some point during the night, Espinal-Del Cid allegedly took a sharp object and stabbed the victim in the neck. He then threw her into a closet, wrapped her in a blanket or towel, placed clothes on top of her, and "left her to die," according to authorities.
In the early hours of March 7, neighbors reported hearing a loud argument inside the apartment. This was the last time Popol Garcia was known to be alive. After the attack, Espinal-Del Cid fled the scene with the murder weapon, $400 in cash, and the victim's cellphone, authorities said.
The Investigation
Espinal-Del Cid fled south through the United States before boarding a one-way flight to Honduras, his country of origin. While on the run, he allegedly used Popol Garcia's phone to impersonate her, attempting to convince her loved ones she was still alive.
"His ruse worked for at least a few days, throwing people off of his scent, luring people into the idea that Maria was actually still around until eventually on her birthday, on March 13th, Maria's parents filed a missing persons report," Khan stated. Within a day of the report being filed, someone entering the apartment made the "horrible discovery" of Popol Garcia's body.
After months of investigation involving assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice, authorities in Honduras located and arrested Espinal-Del Cid. He is currently in the process of being extradited to Pennsylvania to face charges.
Key Takeaways
- Darwin David Espinal-Del Cid, 27, has been charged with criminal homicide, possession of an instrument of crime, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, and abuse of a corpse
- The victim, Maria Bernarda Popol Garcia, 23, had told her boyfriend she was moving out just hours before the alleged attack
- Espinal-Del Cid allegedly impersonated the victim using her phone for several days after the killing
- He fled to Honduras where he was arrested; extradition proceedings are ongoing
What's Next
Espinal-Del Cid remains in custody in Honduras awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania. No court dates have been set for preliminary hearings in Bucks County Court, where he faces a single count of criminal homicide along with additional charges related to the alleged crimes committed during and after the killing.