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Liliana Mejia, age 24, was arrested on Wednesday, Oct. 4, and charged in connection to the death of 35-year-old John Gavilanes of Norwalk, state police announced.
According to state police, Gavilanes was found dead on Saturday, Feb. 4 around 3:20 a.m., when troopers were notified of a motor vehicle wreck on Route 7 northbound in the area of Exit 2 in Norwalk.
When troopers arrived at the scene, they found a red 2016 Nissan Rogue on the right shoulder of the road with both of its front windows blown out and damage to its front end and passenger side.
Gavilanes was the vehicle's only occipant.
At first, police believed that he had been killed as a result of the crash.
However, investigators soon realized that the Nissan had sustained damage that appeared to be bullet holes and that Gavilanes had sustained a gunshot wound to the head.
Authorities also found around 13 9mm fired cartridge casings on Route 7 northbound between the Exit 1 entrance ramp and Exit 2 off-ramp.
This turned the probe into Gavilanes's death from a crash reconstruction to a murder investigation, police said.
During the investigation, detectives learned that Gavilanes had had a long-standing feud with another man in the Norwalk area, and had also been romantically involved with Mejia in the past.
Authorities also determined that Mejia, a Norwalk resident, was currently involved with this man.
Detectives then obtained surveillance footage showing the entrance to Route 7 from West Avenue in Norwalk, which depicted Gavilanes's Nissan Rogue entering Route 7 northbound. The footage also showed a gray Nissan Pathfinder SUV driving behind the Rogue.
Next, detectives reviewed footage from a Norwalk parking lot on Haviland Street and saw a Nissan Pathfinder matching the car seen driving behind Gavilanes's Nissan Rogue arriving in the lot at around 3 a.m.
At that time, the Pathfinder came to an abrupt stop, backed out of the parking lot onto Haviland Street, and turned off its headlights as Gavilanes was seen entering his Rogue.
The Pathfinder was then seen following the Rogue out of the parking lot, police said.
Norwalk Police later told detectives that the man known to be romantically involved with Mejia had been known to drive a gray Nissan Pathfinder. Detectives also found a picture of a gray Pathfinder on Gavilanes's cell phone that matched the vehicle seen in the surveillance footage.
Using this photo, they were able to check the vehicle's registration plate, indicating that the male suspect’s sister was its registered owner.
The investigation then progressed further when detectives found this Pathfinder at a Nissan dealership on Derby Avenue in West Haven and learned that its lease agreement had been ended just three days after the murder, according to police.
As a result of this investigation, which also included a review of social media accounts, relevant cell tower location data, and cell phone call records, detectives established probable cause that Mejia and the male suspect had intentionally caused Gavilanes's death.
An arrest warrant affidavit for Mejia was then applied for and granted, charging her with:
- Murder;
- Second-degree hindering prosecution.
Mejia was held on a $1,000 court-set bond and will be arraigned on Thursday, Oct. 5 in Stamford Superior Court.
The male suspect's name has not yet been released. More arrests are anticipated in connection to the murder, police said.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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