A manhunt is underway for a Cohoes man who is suspected to have killed his girlfriend.
Multiple law enforcement agencies across the state are searching for 53-year-old Anthony Bechand after his girlfriend, 41-year-old Amanda Rodriguez was found dead at a home on Earl Lynn Court Sunday morning.
At a press conference Monday morning, Cohoes Mayor William Keeler said Rodriguez’s friend found her dead and called police.
“It’s believed that the victim had been killed the previous day, Saturday,” Keeler said.
Cohoes Police Chief Todd Waldin says a subsequent investigation determined that Bechand left the residence in a white Chevy truck shortly after the incident.
By using license plate cameras, police were able to find Bechand’s truck in the Franklin County town of Brighton Sunday.
Waldin says that because of the truck’s location, most of the search is in Franklin County.
Multiple law enforcement agencies including state police, forest rangers and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol are engaged in the search.
However, authorities are unsure of which direction Bechand began traveling after leaving his truck.
“We have no way of knowing that because his truck was just left there in that area. They’re searching that whole area, if you’re not familiar with it. It is a pretty wooded outdoors type of terrain there and they’re doing the best they can to find out where he may be,”
Bechand is described as a white male, about 5-foot-11-inches tall, with hazel eyes and brown hair.
Waldin says police are considering Bechand “potentially armed and dangerous,”
“As a precaution we’re going to put out there obviously that he could be armed and dangerous, just like the state police press release referred to. We have no way of confirming 100 percent if he’s armed, but due to the circumstances of what we are investigating everyone should treat him that way,” Waldin said.
Waldin says neither Bechand or Rodriguez – who lived together – have any record whatsoever and no calls were made to the Cohoes home since Rodriguez purchased it ten years ago.
In addition, the incident took place in a quiet area of the city.
“There are a lot of things about the case that are unusual,” Waldin said.
Authorities are asking anyone with information to call New York State Police. They say Bechand should not be approached.
According to results from an autopsy conducted Monday, officials believe Rodriguez died of a ruptured aorta and massive hemorrhaging with the manner of death ruled a homicide.
“It goes without saying that our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family,” Waldin said.
An investigation is ongoing.
