Boxer Félix Verdejo surrendered to federal authorities in his native Puerto Rico on Sunday, where he’s expected to be charged with the murder of his 27-year-old pregnant girlfriend, the New York Timesreports.
According to a federal complaint, Verdejo injected his girlfriend, Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz, with an unidentified substance before tying her body to a block and throwing her off a bridge. He also allegedly shot her while she was in the water and he was on the bridge. Ortiz’s body washed up on shore on Saturday, after she initially went missing on Friday.
Per NYT, Verdejo is facing a litany of charges, including kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death, and killing an unborn child. If convicted, Verdejo could potentially face the death penalty.
Verdejo was married, and according to the New York Post, didn’t want Ortiz to have the baby. Her mother, Keila Ortiz, said that he was worried about both his family and career. “I told her, ‘Be careful,’ because he had already threatened her,″ Ortiz said.
Verdejo, who represented Puerto Rico at the 2012 Olympic Games, is an accomplished boxer. Top Rank, the Las Vegas boxing promotion company that represents Verdejo, released a statement on Saturday, prior to Verdejo turning himself in. “The thoughts and prayers of Top Rank are with the family and friends of Keishla Marlen Rodríguez Ortiz, and with the people of Puerto Rico in this moment of mourning,” the company said. “We are profoundly disturbed by the news and will continue to monitor the evolution of the case as it progresses.”
