by A Mexican woman traveled to Peru to strike up a romantic relationship with a medical student she met online – but her remains later washed up on a beach and he is now accused of taking her organs.
Blanca Arellano, 51, told her family in late July that she was heading for the 3,000-mile journey to Huacho to meet Juan Pablo Jesús Villafuerte, 31, a medical student with whom she had a long-term online relationship, The Independent reported.
On November 7, the woman in love told her niece Karla Arellano that the budding personal romance was going well, but then stopped communicating with the family.
“I never thought I would be in this situation, but today I ask for your support to spread this message and find one of the most loved and important people in my life,” Karla tweeted on November 12.
“My aunt Blanca Olivia Arellano Gutiérrez disappeared in Peru on Monday 07 November. We fear for her life,” she added.
Karla said she became alarmed when she contacted Villafuerte, who claimed Bianca was going back to Mexico after the couple split.
“I decided to communicate with Juan P as he was the only contact she had in that country and that’s where our anxiety started,” she wrote.
Villafuerte reportedly claimed that Bianca decided to catch a flight back home after telling him that “I couldn’t provide the life she wanted.”
On November 10, Peruvian authorities discovered a severed finger with a silver ring still attached, washing up on a local beach.
In the following days, a faceless head, an arm and a torso, all of which had apparently been deliberately removed, also washed ashore.
The devastated family linked the ring to their missing lover, according to The Independent.
On November 17, an arrest warrant was issued for Villafuerte, who had been arrested on charges of trafficking in human organs, the news outlet reported, citing the Latin Noticias.
It later emerged that shortly after Blanca’s disappearance, the suspect had started posting videos on TikTok allegedly showing body parts, including a pancreas and brain, according to El Popular.
During a search of Villafuerte’s home, police found traces of blood in the bathroom, laundry room and on his mattress, The Independent reported, citing El Pais.
“We have no words to express what we are going through,” Karle tweeted on Wednesday. “My aunt was a kind, warm person, full of light, intelligent, devoted, loving and that is how she should be remembered.”
She added: “We believe in Peruvian laws and we fully trust the authorities to make it happen as they have done an impeccable job so far. It is time to raise your voice and ask for #JusticiaParaBlanca. “
