This PE teacher has been arrested for helping her boyfriend to escape from custody after he was sentenced to life for killing his ex-wife and their two-year-old-son.
Patricia Gomez, 36, was arrested for helping her boyfriend, Roberto Carlos Rejas, to escape from the fire station in the Argentine city of San Miguel de Tucuman on the night of Monday, 27th October.
Rejas, age not stated, was being held in custody at the fire station after he was sentenced on Wednesday, 22nd September, to life imprisonment for the double murder of his ex-wife, Milagros Avellaneda, and their young son, Benicio, five years ago.
His custody period was due to last six months to give him the opportunity to reveal where he had left his victims’ bodies, which, to this day, have not been found – allowing his sentence to possibly be reconsidered.
Gomez was arrested at her home in the nearby town of Monteros on the morning of Monday, 4th October. She was reportedly crying as she was arrested, but refused to say anything.
She faces one month to four years in prison if found guilty of complicity in Rejas’ escape.
According to the news site TN, Gomez worked at the school next door to the fire station where Rejas was being held.
One theory is that Rejas escaped from a bathroom window, jumped into the school grounds and then went out onto the street.
However, another theory posits that Rejas simply walked out of the fire station while his guards were not looking.
Several witnesses reportedly told the police they saw Rejas in a black car matching the description of Gomez’ Volkswagen Fox, which was subsequently seized by the police.
Rejas and Gomez announced they were a couple around eight months ago, leading to Gomez’ friends cutting off contact with her, given the charges he was facing.
Avellaneda left her home with her son on 28th October 2016 to meet Rejas. They were in his car when she reportedly demanded he recognise the youngster as his own.
She later sent a message to a friend saying that Rejas was beating her. It was the last time she and her son were heard from.
Rejas was later arrested when the police found he had searched “rapid decomposition of a corpse” on his mobile phone.
The search for the suspect is ongoing.
