A woman was found dead after flying 3,000 miles to meet a man she met online.
Blanca Arellano, 51, traveled from Mexico City to Peru in 2022 following a whirlwind online courtship with 37-year-old Juan Pablo Jesús Villafuerte, a human medicine and biotechnology student.
The two reportedly met on a gaming app, which developed into an online relationship for several months.
For a while, Arellano’s family was under the impression she was happy and ‘their relationship was going very well.’
Yet after spending time with Villafuerte, and telling her niece, Karla Arellano, that she’d even developed feelings of love, Arellano’s family stopped hearing from her.
Arellano’s family became concerned after not hearing from the 51-year-old for several days.
The woman’s social media-savvy niece decided to take X, formerly Twitter, and spread the word of her aunt’s disappearance.
It wasn’t until Karla reached out to Villafuerte that she worried for Arellano’s life.
A post on November 12 read: “I never thought I would be in this situation, but today I’m asking for your support to spread this post and find one of the most loved and important people of my life.
“My aunt Blanca Olivia Arellano Gutiérrez disappeared on Monday, November 7, in Peru. We fear for her life.”
Sharing screenshots of her text messages with Villafuerte, the niece wrote on X: “He argues that on Sunday my aunt decided to return to Mexico.
“They were in Huacho and she left for Lima by her own means to later go to Mexico but that has not happened.”
One screengrab shows the student claiming Arellano was ‘bored’ of their relationship and that his role was ‘over,’ per The Daily Beast.
Yet on November 9, Arellano’s family’s fears became a reality.
El Pais reports that a local fisherman found a faceless head floating in the waters of the Huacho port. Later, an arm and organless torso would turn up.
Forensic experts determined that the victim’s face had been removed by someone experienced with surgical instruments, per MailOnline.
Investigators were also able to match a severed finger to Arellano despite the fingertips being removed – family members were able to identify a silver ring still attached to it, per The Independent.
An arrest warrant was issued for Villafuerte in the coming days and he was taken in as the main suspect of Arellano’s homicide case.
In a news conference, Peru’s general attorney stated (per Latin Noticias): “Juan Pablo Villafuerte was arrested on charges of human organs trafficking.”
Yet even more disturbing revelations were to come after Villafuerte’s arrest.
Following Arellano’s disappearance, the medical student allegedly began uploading TikTok videos of himself seemingly dissecting body parts, reports El Popular.
When searching Villafuerte’s apartment, investigators reportedly found evidence of blood splattering, including in the bathroom and laundry room, a mattress, and cleaning supplies.
Arellano’s niece took to X and tweeted: “We have no words to express what we are experiencing.
“My aunt was a kind, warm person, full of light, intelligent, dedicated, loving and that is how she should be remembered.”
Daily Express US reports that in 2023, Villafuerte was handed a 35-year prison sentence for the killing of Arellano after being charged with ‘femicide’ – which is the term for killing females because of their gender.
In addition to the prison sentence, he was reportedly also ordered to pay a civil reparation of 50,000 soles (around $13,500) to the victim’s heirs.