The suspect was arrested after the woman's body was recovered found stuffed in a suitcase A man found dumped on Long Island last week was allegedly in possession of date rape and other illegal drugs when he was captured, authorities said.
Ronald Schroeder, 31, was arrested Friday at New York's Penn Station, days after the decomposed remains of 31-year-old Seikia Jones were found near an apartment complex in Huntington. ABC7 reported,
Schroeder, who is charged with concealing a human corpse in the gruesome case, reportedly had the drugs in his possession when he was handcuffed for a pending warrant.
The alleged culprit was arrested following the incident. The victim's body was uncovered The Suffolk County Police Department said a man was caught hiding in a luggage rack in a wooded area near Huntington Station last Tuesday after residents began complaining of a foul odor.
The body of the mother of one was found in a foetal position with black cords tied around her wrists.
A bungee cord was also found tied around the suitcase, officials said.
According to police, Jones, who was reported missing by her family on Aug. 16, was last seen on surveillance video walking around the Huntington Station building.
Police are still investigating how long the case had been lying in the wooded area before it was discovered.
It also wasn't immediately clear how long ago Jones had died before the gruesome discovery.
Autopsy results confirming her official cause of death have not yet been released by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office.
The victim's relatives said she was homeless and struggling with mental health issues at the time of her disappearance. She also has a 4-year-old son.
“We couldn't help her overcome her mental illness; and with that being said, that doesn't give anybody the right to put their hands on my sister and put her in a suitcase and throw her in the bushes like she's nothing,” her sister Shasia Corenthy told ABC7.
Meanwhile, Schroeder is being held at the Suffolk County Jail without bail following his arrest.
His lawyer told the court that he had waived his right to appear in person on Saturday because he was ill.
The suspect is due to appear in court again on Thursday.
