Philadelphia Fugitive with $25K Bounty Arrested in New York After High-Speed Chase

A Philadelphia man with a $25,000 bounty on his head was arrested in New York after a high-speed chase. He had been missing for nearly three months after fleeing the scene of his ex-girlfriend’s murder.

The 29-year-old, Geovanni Otero, accused of murdering and burying the body of his ex-girlfriend, had been on the run since November last year.

According to New York State Police, Otero provided false identification at the time of arrest. Moreover, additional fake forms of identification were found under his possession.

On February 15, New York State Troopers stopped a vehicle in Westchester County, New York. The vehicle was believed to have been stolen from Virginia, according to officials. Otero initially complied with officials before speeding up his car and fleeing the spot. Police chased the 29-year-old’s car in pursuit. The chase ended after just over a minute when he crashed the car and tried to run on foot. He was apprehended shortly after.

He was identified as Geovanni Otero after analysis of his fingerprints. Authorities found that he was wanted in Philadelphia for the murder of Melody Rivera. Otero was treated in Westchester Medical Center for minor injuries incurred during the accident.

What did Geovanni Otero do?

On November 8 last year, the body of Melody Rivera, a 29-year-old resident of Philadelphia, was found buried in a shallow grave near Champion Park Playground on the 900 block of Tustin Avenue in the Fox Chase neighborhood. Investigators identified her alleged boyfriend, Geovanni Otero, at that time and discovered his criminal record. Otero was on parole and wore a GPS ankle tracker due to a gun case.

Detectives concluded that Otero killed Rivera and buried her body in Fox Chase. He fled the city, prompting federal agents to join the search mission. The Philadelphia Police Department offered a $20,000 reward for any information regarding the suspect. The US Marshals then added $5,000 to this amount.

What’s next?

Otero is wanted in Philadelphia for Rivera’s murder and a parole violation. He is scheduled to appear in court on February 17, facing charges including false impersonation and reckless driving.

The US Marshals Service Philadelphia confirmed his arrest on X (formerly Twitter), stating that his extradition to Philadelphia is pending, where he will stand trial for Rivera’s murder.

WANTED for gruesome murder of 29 year old Melody Rivera is Geovanni Otero aka Geovanni Hakeen Otero-Ortiz . DOB: 06/19/1995

Geovanni Otero is a violent repeat offender who was out of prison on parole and was supposed to be wearing an electronically monitored ankle monitor…. pic.twitter.com/rRq8CTfaIF
— PhillyCrimeUpdate (@PhillyCrimeUpd) November 8, 2024