An ex-boyfriend has been arrested in the killing of 24-year-old Valerie Reyes, whose body was found in a suitcase in Greenwich, Connecticut, last week. Javier DeSilva is facing federal charges in the death of Reyes, 24, who was reported missing from her New Rochelle, New York, home before her body was found in Connecticut. DeSilva was interviewed by police and allegedly “admitted a role” in Reyes’ death, Greenwich Police Capt. Robert Berry said Tuesday. According to police, DeSilva fraudulently used Reyes’ ATM card in New York, and is believed to be involved in her death. Days before her body was found inside a suitcase near a Connecticut road, Reyes reportedly called her mother and was terrified that someone was going to murder her. According to her mom, Reyes did not say why she was afraid or whether she was scared of anyone in particular. “The last time I talked to Val she was really scared and fearing for her life. Now we know why,” Norma Sanchez, her mother, told The Daily Beast Tuesday. “I just want to know why he did this to my daughter.”

A week after Reyes vanished, a group of highway workers in Greenwich found a red suitcase in a wooded area about 20 feet off the shoulder of a road in a quiet neighborhood. When they opened the bag, they found a woman with bound hands and feet, later identified as Reyes. Greenwich is an affluent town about 35 miles outside New York City, and about 14 miles from Reyes’ apartment.