After a manhunt, authorities arrested the suspect who allegedly killed a woman and then pushed her body on a dolly down a Staten Island street. Anthony Lopez, 31, was located in Harlem with a shaved head, which was apparently done to disguise himself after police released a photograph of him with longer hair.
Residents on Post Lane road in the Mariners Harbor section spotted a man wheeling a dolly, with a body wrapped in cloth and other items on top, as if to hide the corpse. The Post reports, "Instead of calling 911 directly, one wary eyewitness called a pal who is a local detective, sources told The Post. The detective was off duty but rushed to the scene anyway. As soon as the cop got out of his car to confront the man pushing the dolly, he recognized Lopez, whose long criminal history includes 52 arrests, sources said."
Lopez alleged fled the scene, abandoning the body and dolly on a lawn. Police identified the victim, whose naked body was on the dolly, as 26-year-old Obiamaka Aduba, Lopez's wife.
Police tracked Lopez to East Harlem yesterday after using helicopters and police dogs; the Daily News reports, "[C]ops nabbed him at First Ave. and 113th St. Lopez sought shelter at his aunt’s place, but they wouldn’t let him stay with them, sources said. He was caught after a brief chase."
Lopez was charged with murder and concealment of a human corpse. He was reportedly pushing the body towards the Kill van Kull, which suggests he may have wanted to dump the body in the water.
The Medical Examiner's office is determining Aduba's cause of death. The News adds, "Lopez and the victim had a tumultuous relationship, and sources said he beat her badly enough in the past to break bones and had her work as a prostitute. Her mom tried to stay in touch, but 'Every time her mother would buy her a new phone, he would take it and sell it,' one police source said."
