Pampanga governor confirms deaths of Pampanga beauty queen Geneva Lopez and her Israeli boyfriend
Beauty queen Geneva Lopez and her Israeli boyfriend Yitshak Cohen were found dead in Capas, Tarlac.
Pampanga governor Dennis Pineda confirmed their deaths on Saturday, July 6 after authorities found two human remains in a remote area earlier in the day.
"Malungkot ko po na ibinabalita sa inyo na natagpuan na ang mga bangkay ng kabalen natin na si Geneva Lopez at ang kanyang kasintahan na si Yitshak Cohen sa isang lugar sa Sta. Lucia sa Capas, Tarlac pagkatapos silang mawala ng dalawang linggo," he wrote in a Facebook post. "Kinumpirma po ito ng pulis base sa kasuotan at gamit ng mga biktima."
"Ipagdasal po natin ang kanilang kaluluwa. Nakikiramay po ako sa mga pamilya. Patuloy po akong tutulong sa paghahanap ng hustisya para kay Geneva at Yitshak," he added.
ABS-CBN News reported that authorities discovered dead bodies of a man and a woman in a remote site in Capas, Tarlac in the morning of Saturday, July 6. The remains had not been identified at the time. According to the media outlet, it came after a main witness reported important information to police in line with the case.
Reported missing in late June
Lopez and Cohen were reported missing by her family on June 21, according to the Angeles City Police Office.
The beauty queen told her relatives that she and Cohen were scheduled to meet with someone to check out a property they were looking to buy in Capas, Tarlac. Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Jean Fajardo said that according to their background check, a former police officer from Angeles served as a middleman in the purchase, and he accompanied Lopez and Cohen to the property.
The Capas Fire Station responded to a car fire on the road last June 22 in Tarlac. Lopez’s belongings, including her ID card, were discovered in the burnt sports utility vehicle.
In a press briefing on July 2, the PNP announced they have identified persons of interest behind their disappearance. Fajardo said they cannot give additional details then but noted that they're pursuing "very good leads."
Lopez joined Mutya ng Pilipinas Pampanga 2024 as the representative of Sto. Tomas.
