Nicaragua Detains Person Of Interest In NY Student's Death
WESTBURY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A man sought for questioning in the killing of a university nursing student from Long Island has been detained in Nicaragua, authorities in the Central American nation said Tuesday.
Orlando Tercero, 22, was taken into custody in in Nicaragua after taking a flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport. He was being handed over to judicial authorities, National Police Commissioner Francisco Diaz said.
"Together, our priority is to bring justice to all involved parties," said Broome County District Attorney Stephen Cornwell, Jr.
Police in New York say Tercero is a person of interest in the killing of 22-year-old Haley Anderson of Westbury. A warrant is being prepared, Cornwell said.
A nursing student and senior at Binghamton University, Anderson's life was cut short. She was discovered murdered Friday at a home near campus.
The Westbury native was close to graduation.
"She was in her senior year. This year, she did an internship at a hospital here on Long Island and she told me about all the operations that she witnessed," said neighbor John Doran. "Tragic loss."
Binghamton police quickly classified the case as a homicide and identified Tercero, a romantic partner and fellow student, as a person of interest.
As crime scene investigators processed the evidence, detectives say he was on a flight from JFK Airport to Nicaragua. The National Police Force detained him Tuesday.
Anderson's death was a tragic blow to her family in Westbury and her former coworkers at Ralphs Italian Ices.
"She was such a bubbly person, opened up to anyone," said co-worker Emma Derbin. "She was literally like the greatest person ever. She never didn't have a smile on her face."
Nicaraguan police say Tercero was in possession of a Nicaragua passport when he was arrested. It is believed he has dual citizenship, CBS2's Magdalena Doris reported.
All of the evidence in the case will be presented to a grand jury. If Tercero is indicted, the district attorney will push for a speedy extradition.
A wake and funeral for Anderson will be held for this weekend in her hometown.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
