ROATÁN, HONDURAS – American national, Gilbert Reyes Bermúdez, has been apprehended in the Dominican Republic in connection with the murder of three women in Roatán, an island in Honduras, according to local police. Bermúdez, 36, is believed to have been involved with the victims, María Antonia Cruz, Nikendra McCoy, and Dione Solórzano, before their deaths on January 6.
The day following the alleged murders, Bermúdez reportedly fled Honduras, and the women were subsequently reported missing. Three days later, their bodies were discovered in a vehicle, each bearing gunshot wounds, as per reports from a Costa Rican news outlet.
Solórzano, one of the victims, was previously in a relationship with Bermúdez, as per the same report. Bermúdez reportedly arrived in the Dominican Republic on March 16, as stated by Dominican Today, an online news source.
Upon his arrest, authorities seized $205, 600 pesos, an American passport, two cell phones, and other personal belongings from Bermúdez, as reported by Dominican Today. These items are now in the custody of OCN-Interpol Santo Domingo.
The Honduran National Police have initiated the extradition process for Bermúdez. The case against him will be built on crime scene evidence and witness testimonies, according to a press release from the Honduran government.
Honduras has a high rate of femicide, the intentional killing of women, ranking first among Latin American countries and fifth globally, as per a Costa Rican news report.