Boxer Félix Verdejo Arrested After Pregnant Girlfriend's Body Washes Ashore

Professional boxer Félix Verdejo is in federal custody after his pregnant girlfriend’s body washed ashore. Verdejo is accused of killing her, then tying her body to a cinderblock and tossing her corpse into the ocean.

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Félix Verdejo is a professional boxer with a pretty solid career. His boxing record is 27-2 with 17 knockouts, and he has made a name for himself after solid luck in the 2012 Olympics. His last fight happened just last year in the summer of 2020, and it’s safe to say he should be living the dream: Barely defeated, steady work, and living in Puerto Rico…what more could he ask for?

Now, after one bad decision, Verdejo might never see the inside of the ring again–or even the outside of a jail cell. According to the New York Times, the boxer is turning himself into authorities after his girlfriend, Keishla Rodriguez Ortiz‘s body washed ashore. Police have witness testimonies saying he was responsible, reportedly because he wanted to terminate her pregnancy.

In the complaint, the Federal Bureau of Investigation relied on information from a witness whom the agency describes as a person “with firsthand, personal knowledge” of what took place. Mr. Verdejo, according to this account, contacted the witness “and requested his help to terminate the pregnancy,” the complaint said. The witness cooperated.

Mr. Verdejo and Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz met on Thursday evening in Mr. Verdejo’s black Durango S.U.V. At one point while inside the vehicle, Mr. Verdejo punched her in the face “and she was injected with a syringe filled with substances,” which were not specified in the complaint. Then, Mr. Verdejo and the witness tied her hands and feet with wire. They also tied a block to her, according to the complaint, and loaded her body into the vehicle she had driven to meet Mr. Verdejo.

The witness and Mr. Verdejo drove both vehicles onto the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge, which spans the San Jose Lagoon, near San Juan. According to the complaint, they tossed Ms. Rodríguez Ortiz into the water. Then, Mr. Verdejo shot at her with a pistol from the bridge, according to the complaint.

This is such a sad story: a woman’s life lost over nothing in such a cruel, cold, heartless manner. Not to mention the loss of a child to go along with this. Hopefully, swift justice is served for the family and friends.