Police say Tylydiah Garnett, 21, was arrested over the weekend in connection with the death of 21-year-old Dianna Brice, Lansdowne, Pa., Who was reported missing on March 30.
Garnett is charged with arson, criminal conspiracy, use of communications facilities, abuse of corpses and other related offenses. Investigators did not release further details on how Garnett was involved in the case.
“It’s a sad situation. It’s been going on for ten days now. There’s a lot of emotions going on, but it was – you know, they were excited about this,” said Kevin Ryan, a private investigator who told the family of the victim help.
SEE ALSO: Mom pleads for safe return of missing pregnant daughter last seen in Delaware County
Brice was found dead on April 5 in the 5800 block of Eastwick Avenue. An autopsy determined that Brice had died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and that the manner of killing was decided as murder.
Brice’s mother, Betty Cellini, said her daughter had a young son and was 14 weeks pregnant. She also had a life-threatening medical condition that required medication.
Brice and her boyfriend, 23-year-old Justin Smith, were last seen in K Laundry in Yeadon on March 30 at about 1 p.m. Smith is a person of interest in the case. He is currently still wanted by the police.
Before the woman disappeared, Cellini said the couple was involved in an argument.
He says, ‘She does not even want to talk to me. “I said, ‘I don’t care, she’s pregnant with your baby,'” Cellini recalled.
Smith’s 2018 black Ford Fusion was later found engulfed in flames in 59th and Florence streets in Philadelphia. No one was found in the vehicle. The car is about a mile from where police said Brice was discovered in the woods.
“I wish my daughter would never have met him,” Cellini told Action News last week.
Although police could not comment, Cellini claims that Smith has walked in with the law before.
Brice’s family is hopeful that there will be another arrest soon.
“He is currently being hidden. There are people hiding him at this stage. I would not be surprised if he goes from house to house,” Ryan said.
Garnett’s bail was set at 10% of $ 75,000. Court documents show that she posted bail on Sunday, but that she is still in police custody.
Anyone with any information on Smith’s whereabouts is asked to call police.
Copyright © 2021 WPVI-TV. All rights reserved.