TELFORD, Pa. — A man accused of killing his girlfriend inside their Bucks County apartment and then fleeing the country has been captured in Honduras following an international manhunt.
Darwin David Espinal-Del Cid, 27, was taken into custody early Monday in Pespire, Honduras, by agents with the Honduran Technical Agency for Criminal Investigation during an operation coordinated with the FBI, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
Espinal-Del Cid is being held in Tegucigalpa while awaiting extradition to Bucks County. He is charged with criminal homicide, possession of an instrument of crime, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception and abuse of a corpse.
The charges stem from the death of 23-year-old Maria Bernarda Popol Garcia, whose body was discovered in March inside an apartment on North Main Street in Telford Borough.
According to investigators, Popol Garcia’s family reported her missing on March 13 after they had not heard from her for about a week. Telford Borough Police went to her residence but received no answer. Police returned the following day and discovered her body wrapped in a blanket, covered with clothing and concealed inside a bedroom closet.
An autopsy determined Popol Garcia died as a result of injuries caused by an edged cutting weapon, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators allege Popol Garcia had been preparing to leave Espinal-Del Cid and began moving her belongings into another apartment on March 6. During the early morning hours of March 7, neighbors reported hearing a loud argument inside the apartment. Authorities say that was the last time she was known to be alive.
Prosecutors allege Espinal-Del Cid cut Popol Garcia’s throat before moving her body into the closet in an effort to conceal the killing.
Authorities also accuse him of taking her cellphone and approximately $400 in cash. Investigators say Espinal-Del Cid later used Popol Garcia’s phone to send messages while pretending to be her, creating the impression she was still alive.
Financial and flight records showed Espinal-Del Cid purchased a one-way ticket to Honduras and left the United States on March 9, according to prosecutors.
Popol Garcia had moved to the United States from Guatemala in search of a better life and worked as a server at a Latin American restaurant and grocery in Telford. Friends and coworkers described her as kind and gentle.
Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan said the case serves as another reminder of the potentially deadly consequences of domestic violence.
“Distance will not offer refuge to those who commit acts of violence in our community,” Khan said, adding that authorities remained committed to pursuing justice for Popol Garcia.
Her family expressed relief following news of the arrest, while acknowledging that nothing can bring Popol Garcia back.
Espinal-Del Cid remains in Honduran custody pending extradition. Authorities have not announced when he is expected to return to Pennsylvania to face the charges.
