Iván Tabella arrested in Buenos Aires over murders of two women in Córdoba and Retiro
Renato Iván Tabella, 27, was arrested at a Buenos Aires hotel in connection with the murder of Daniela Villalba in Córdoba and the death of Tatiana Micaela Fernández in Retiro.
Arrest in Buenos Aires: who is the suspect in two murders in Córdoba and the capital
Renato Iván Tabella, 27, was detained on Sunday night at a hotel in Buenos Aires city, identified by authorities as the alleged perpetrator of two murders that occurred in different jurisdictions across the country. According to perfil.com, the arrest was carried out at the Hotel Centro, located at Presidente Perón 1555 in the Federal Capital, at 23:15, when officers from Brigade 5 of the Homicide Division entered the room in execution of a search warrant issued by National Criminal and Correctional Court Number 22.
The operation was the result of joint work between the Córdoba Police and the Buenos Aires City Police. The detainee offered resistance at the moment of capture, although police personnel reported no injuries.
The investigation that led to his identification
The case began on the Tuesday prior to the arrest, when a suitcase and items with blood stains were found in a central area of Córdoba. A few days later, a friend of Daniela Villalba called 911 because she could not reach her. Upon entering the apartment in the Cofico neighbourhood, investigators found the young woman murdered.
Analysis of Villalba's mobile phone guided the investigation. Combined with images obtained during the investigation, authorities were able to identify Tabella as a suspect. "We already had images of who could have been the perpetrator, who could have been the killer," said Córdoba's Security Minister, Juan Pablo Quinteros, during a press conference held on Monday.
Once his identity was established, Córdoba investigators determined that Tabella had travelled to Buenos Aires by coach following the crime. They then alerted their counterparts in Buenos Aires and began coordinated work to locate him.
The connection to the second murder in Retiro
Authorities also link Tabella to the death of Tatiana Micaela Fernández, which occurred in the Retiro neighbourhood. According to Quinteros, investigators were able to determine that the person recorded leaving the residence where Fernández died was the same one they were searching for in connection with the Córdoba crime.
"We had determined that it was the person seen leaving the residence here in Retiro where Tatiana lost her life," said the official. The charge for Fernández's death was pursued by prosecutor Pablo Camacho, who requested the arrest and detention of the suspect.
Quinteros highlighted the collaboration of Buenos Aires's Security Minister, Horacio Giménez, whose team acted immediately once they received concrete information about the lead being followed. "When we called him with certain data about the lead we were following, he put his people to work," he said.
Modus operandi and background
According to official sources, Tabella allegedly acted in a similar manner in both crimes: abuse followed by murder, with prior consultations at sites of sex workers. Authorities did not clarify whether there are other victims under investigation.
Quinteros was categorical about the authorship attributed to the detainee: "We are convinced, at least in Córdoba, that we are in the presence of who killed Daniela and surely of who killed Tatiana". However, he clarified that the judicial system must proceed with pending expert analysis to determine the exact circumstances of both murders and establish the definitive procedural situation of the accused.
Official sources confirmed that Iván Tabella had no prior criminal record before these investigations.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires