The Investigative Police (PDI) arrested Emanuel Ochoa Navia in the commune of Lanco this Sunday. He is the primary suspect in the femicide of his niece, veterinary student Francisca Millahual. The operation was successful after investigators located the suspect attending an evangelical service in the Los Ríos Region.
Ochoa Navia, 24, is under investigation for the murder of the young woman, who was found dead on April 6 at her grandmother's home in Temuco. The victim had been shot in the chin while in the house with her uncle and several other people.
According to reports from BioBioChile and La Tercera, the suspect managed to evade justice for several days. Following the crime, the detainee roamed the streets of Temuco, disposed of the murder weapon, and fled south through the Lanco and Panguipulli areas.
Arrest at evangelical service
The arrest was made possible after the suspect was identified during a religious event. Subprefect Sergio Alarcón, head of the PDI's Homicide Brigade, detailed the sequence of events that led to the capture.
“The individual attended an evangelical service in Lanco around 11:00 a.m. Afterward, he went to a private residence where he cleaned up, bathed, and ate. From there, he was transported to a Carabineros station, where we were waiting for him to carry out the arrest,” Alarcón explained.
The investigation utilized surveillance footage that placed the suspect at the crime scene. The victim's grandmother, who was away on a trip at the time, discovered the body upon her return to the home.
Police stated that while the bullet that caused the death is undergoing forensic examination, the murder weapon has not yet been recovered. Subprefect Alarcón also noted that investigators are not ruling out the involvement of other individuals, as the investigation remains ongoing.
The accused will appear for a detention hearing at the Temuco Guarantee Court to face formal charges of femicide.
