Police have named a Brooklyn man as a person of interest in the death of his mother, who vanished on her way to a Veterans Affairs hospital last week.
Police found the body of 52-year-old Joan Viau, of the Bronx, near a wooded area in upper Manhattan on Saturday. Police arrested Viau's son, 31-year-old Joseph Garcia, hours before finding her body. Viau was reported missing Jan. 23.
An autopsy will determine her cause of death.
Police charged Garcia with unauthorized use of a vehicle and criminal possession of stolen property after he was caught on surveillance tape with his mother's SUV and credit card. According to investigators, Garcia was the last person seen with Viau.
A Bronx assistant district attorney labeled Garcia the "number one suspect" during his arraignment. Garcia's lawyer said Garcia didn't say if he killed his mother or not.
