Inset: Andres F. Calvachi-Paz (Essex County Prosecutor's Office). Background: Authorities at the Cedar Hill Country Club in New Jersey, where Calvachi-Paz allegedly dumped his girlfriend's body (WPIX).
A 35-year-old man in New Jersey is accused of killing his girlfriend as she was trying to break up with him, then driving around with her body for several hours while sending photos and messages from her phone to make it seem as though she were still alive.
Andres Calvachi-Paz was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of 28-year-old Dayana Chisaguano Maleza, authorities announced. In addition to murder, Calvachi-Paz is also facing one count of second-degree disturbing human remains and one count of third-degree theft.
According to a news release from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, the investigation began when Maleza's body was discovered along the roadway near the Cedar Hill Golf Course in Livingston, New Jersey, which is about 25 miles west of Manhattan.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
Authorities said one of the employees at the golf course discovered Maleza's body at about 8:45 a.m. while he was chasing deer off of the golf course, the New York Daily News reported. The employee reportedly caught the scent of something foul, which he followed to the small wooded area where the body had been dumped.
Calvachi-Paz and Maleza were dating and shared an apartment in Newark at the time of the incident.
Earlier this month, the couple got into a heated argument, during which the victim "indicated she wanted to end the relationship" with Calvachi-Paz, prosecutors said. Calvachi-Paz allegedly responded by strangling Maleza to death inside their home.
Following the alleged murder, investigators say Calvachi-Paz moved Maleza into his car and "drove around for several hours" before ultimately discarding her body in the woods just off of Walnut Street.
Calvachi-Paz then allegedly tried to cover his tracks by making it seem as though the victim was alive and well.
"Afterward, Calvachi-Paz allegedly engaged in an elaborate scheme to make it appear as though the victim was still alive, including sending messages from her cellphone," prosecutors wrote in the release.
Despite those efforts, authorities said that Calvachi-Paz admitted to killing Maleza after he was arrested.
It was not immediately clear if authorities know the exact date Maleza was killed or how long her body had been in the woods before it was discovered. Previously, investigators reportedly said they believed Maleza had been dead for several days prior to being found by the golf course employee.
Calvachi-Paz is currently being held in the Essex County Jail without bond, records show. It was not immediately clear when Calvachi-Paz was scheduled to appear in court.
Follow Law&Crime:
