Carabineros officers arrested 27-year-old Victor Thiany in Melipilla on Monday afternoon. The Haitian national is under investigation for a robbery-homicide that claimed the life of a 65-year-old woman in Quinta Normal.
The suspect had been a fugitive since last Thursday, April 2, when the details of the crime first emerged. Following the arrest, authorities confirmed that Thiany will appear for a detention hearing this Tuesday.
The victim has been identified as María Leonor Valdevenito. Police sources indicated that when she was found, the woman showed signs of asphyxiation and multiple blunt-force injuries.
The robbery and police manhunt
During the attack, the perpetrators stole the clothing the woman was selling, as well as the van she used for her work. Security cameras in the area captured movement related to the crime.
The victim was discovered after her two daughters went to her home. The women raised the alarm upon realizing that the house's door had been forced open and that their mother showed signs of having been attacked.
Prior to the arrest, Carabineros had launched a manhunt to locate Thiany. The police force released a wanted poster warning that the suspect "poses a high danger to public safety" and requested the public's help in locating him.
