Funeral held for New York woman whose body was found in suitcase in Connecticut

An emotional funeral was held Wednesday for Valerie Reyes, the 24-year-old woman whose corpse was found stuffed inside a suitcase dumped on the side of a quiet road in suburban Connecticut.  

Dozens of friends and relatives were seen hugging and wiping away tears outside of St Gabriel's Church in New Rochelle, New York. 

Many of the attendees wore white sweatshirts bearing a photo of Reyes and the words: 'In Loving Memory of our beautiful soul Valerie. You captured so many hearts'.    

'She was just silly and just a free soul, beautiful soul. She's going to be missed,' Reyes' cousin Desiree Rodriguez said as she made her way into the church on Wednesday. 

'We're devastated, but we're happy that the person was caught so she gets to go in peace. It kind of brings us a little more peace, too, to let her go.'

After the hour-long memorial service, loved ones held white balloons as a Reyes was buried in a green casket adorned with yellow and white flowers at a cemetery in nearby Rye, New York. 

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An emotional funeral was held Wednesday for Valerie Reyes, the 24-year-old woman whose corpse was found stuffed inside a suitcase dumped on the side of a quiet road in suburban Connecticut. Loved ones are seen huddled around her casket at a cemetery in Rye, New York

An emotional funeral was held Wednesday for Valerie Reyes, the 24-year-old woman whose corpse was found stuffed inside a suitcase dumped on the side of a quiet road in suburban Connecticut. Loved ones are seen huddled around her casket at a cemetery in Rye, New York

Friends and family gathered at St Gabriel's Church in New Rochelle, New York, for the memorial service on Wednesday, two weeks after Reyes went missing and one week after her body was found on the side of a road in Greenwich, Connecticut

Friends and family gathered at St Gabriel's Church in New Rochelle, New York, for the memorial service on Wednesday, two weeks after Reyes went missing and one week after her body was found on the side of a road in Greenwich, Connecticut

Many of the mourners were wearing white hooded sweatshirts with Reyes' photo and the words: 'In Loving Memory of our beautiful soul Valerie. You captured so many hearts'

Many of the mourners were wearing white hooded sweatshirts with Reyes' photo and the words: 'In Loving Memory of our beautiful soul Valerie. You captured so many hearts'

Pallbearers carry Reyes' emerald casket into St Gabriel's Church ahead of the funeral mass 

Pallbearers carry Reyes' emerald casket into St Gabriel's Church ahead of the funeral mass 

A black hearse is seen in front of the church as loved ones file in for the memorial service

A black hearse is seen in front of the church as loved ones file in for the memorial service

Reyes' was laid to rest at Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye, New York. after the funeral

Reyes' was laid to rest at Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye, New York. after the funeral

Loved ones held white balloons as Reyes' casket adorned with yellow and white flowers was lowered into the ground

Loved ones held white balloons as Reyes' casket adorned with yellow and white flowers was lowered into the ground

Reyes was reported missing on January 30 when she failed to turn up for work, and her body was found one week later on February 5

Her ex-boyfriend Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas was arrested and charged in connection with her death on Monday, two days before the funeral

Reyes was reported missing on January 30 when she failed to turn up for work, and her body was found one week later on February 5. Her ex-boyfriend Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas was arrested and charged in connection with her death on Monday, two days before the funeral

Reyes' funeral came two days after her ex-boyfriend, 24-year-old Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas, was arrested and charged with kidnapping resulting in death. The charge carries the possibility of the death penalty. 

Investigators say Rojas has denied killing Reyes and claims that she died after falling and hitting her head while the pair were having sex. 

He allegedly admitted to binding her hands and feet, putting packing tape over her mouth, forcing her body into a case and abandoning it on the side of a road in Greenwich, Connecticut.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials revealed in a statement on Wednesday that Rojas is a citizen of Portugal who has been in the US illegally for more than a year. 

He reportedly entered the US on May 8, 2017, through the Visa Waiver Program and was required to leave by August 5, 2017. 

ICE filed a detainer for Rojas on Wednesday, meaning he will be deported immediately after his criminal case is complete and any sentence is served.

Susanne Brody, a lawyer for Da Silva, declined to comment Wednesday.

The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens from 38 countries to travel to the US for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa. 

Of the nearly 22.5 million people who entered the US under the program and were supposed to leave in the 2017 fiscal year, about 131,000 remained in the country illegally, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Investigators say Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas, 24, has denied killing Reyes and claims that she died after falling and hitting her head while the pair were having sex. The pair are pictured together in a photo he posted to Instagram last year

Investigators say Javier Enrique Da Silva Rojas, 24, has denied killing Reyes and claims that she died after falling and hitting her head while the pair were having sex. The pair are

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