Police in Colombia have launched a manhunt for a British citizen after the body of 36-year-old model Natalia Villalba Angarita was found inside a suitcase in a rented apartment in Bogotá. The victim, who was from Cúcuta in northern Colombia, was discovered by cleaning workers on the building’s seventh floor after they heard water running from the bathroom, knocked several times, and got no answer. When they opened the door, they found a large suitcase in the bathroom containing her body.
Investigators say personal items belonging to Villalba Angarita were also found at the scene, including two passports, one valid and one expired, with stamps showing travel to Spain. Authorities are treating the case as suspected premeditated murder. Her body has been sent for autopsy to determine the cause of death and the exact time she died.
According to the probe, the British suspect entered the apartment on June 17 and left the next day. Security cameras reportedly showed him carrying bedding to the laundry area, a detail that led investigators to search for possible additional evidence, including DNA, fibers, and bloodstains. Police are also examining whether an American man from Texas was involved; he is said to have been in the apartment earlier in Villalba’s visit.
Investigators are now reviewing surveillance footage, building entry records, and the movements of the two foreign men. No arrests have been made, and both are wanted for questioning. The case has shocked Colombia and drawn comparisons to the 2023 murder of DJ Valentina Trespalacios, whose body was also found in a suitcase. Her American partner, John Nelson Poulos, was convicted of aggravated murder and sentenced to more than 42 years in prison.
