Ricardo Barbaro to face court on Saturday after long drive back to Melbourne
For 10 days Ricardo "Rick" Barbaro eluded capture, fleeing across a state border to dodge police questioning over the death of Melbourne woman Ellie Price.
Mr Barbaro, a fugitive no more, is due to return to Victoria on Friday evening after his dramatic arrest at a penthouse apartment overlooking the Parramatta River in Sydney's western suburbs on Thursday morning.
A Victoria Police prisoner transport vehicle believed to be carrying Ricardo Barbaro leaves the Sydney Police Centre in Surry Hills.Credit:Dallas Kilponen
The 33-year-old's disappearance prompted a nationwide manhunt after Ms Price was found dead inside her South Melbourne townhouse on May 4.
Police believe her body may have lain undiscovered for close to a week.
Bruised from his arrest, Mr Barbaro was loaded into a Victoria Police prisoner transport vehicle about 7.30am on Friday ahead of the nine-hour drive from Sydney to Melbourne.
Homicide squad detectives were expected to question Mr Barbaro on Friday night on his arrival back in Melbourne, before a hearing scheduled in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday.
Ricardo Barbaro at Burwood Court in Sydney on Thursday. Credit:Joel Carrett
Mr Barbaro was arrested inside a high-end Wentworth Point apartment complex following a tense standoff with police shortly before 1am on Thursday.
He sustained minor injuries during the arrest, believed to be from a collision with a mirror, and was taken to Concord Hospital for treatment.
He spent Thursday night inside the Sydney Police Centre after Parramatta Local Court granted a police application to extradite Mr Barbaro to Victoria for questioning over Ms Price's death.
He failed to front the hearing but his lawyer said he did not oppose the application.
Ms Price's cousin Jay Bradford said his family was relieved to hear Mr Barbaro had been arrested.
“I’m relieved to know there’s been an arrest so we might get some closure," he said on Thursday.