Police: Person of interest in custody in murder of Karina Vetrano
HOWARD BEACH, Queens (WABC) -- Police say they have a person of interest in custody in the murder of Howard Beach jogger Karina Vetrano.
A source said the suspect is in his 20s and lives in East New York, and that he has been a person of interest in the case for a few months.
A news conference is expected Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
"We know they have the person of interest in custody. That's all I can confirm right now," said Karina Vetrano's father, Phil Vetrano.
The medical examiner's lab has matched DNA evidence from the crime to the DNA profile of a suspect, a source says.
Vetrano's parents spoke out Thursday, trying to renew momentum in the case on the six-month anniversary of the murder.
Karina Vetrano left her home for a jog around 5 p.m. on August 2nd, 2016. When she failed to return, family members reported her missing and started searching for her.
Vetrano's body was found around 9 p.m. by her father about 14 blocks from her home, in the marshes of Spring Creek Park, off 161st Avenue and 78th Street. She was about 15 feet off the trail.
The medical examiner's office performed an autopsy and ruled Vetrano's death a homicide, saying she was strangled.
