Dominican police say bodies of 4 decapitated women found near border with Haiti

A file image of crime scene tape.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Authorities in the Dominican Republic said Monday the bodies of at least four decapitated women have been found along the border it shares with Haiti, marking an unusual discovery.

Police spokesman Diego Pesqueira said the victims are Haitian and were found along the southern part of the border. He added that Dominican authorities are only investigating one of the four deaths because only one body was found on the Dominican side.

Pesqueira said investigators believe the women were killed and then thrown into a river that swept the bodies away and deposited them where they were later found.

He said Dominican authorities detained one man who denied involvement and later turned him over to Haitian National Police.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the man was charged.

A Haitian police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While gang violence keeps surging across Haiti and remains common, it is rare to find the bodies of decapitated women.