NICARAGUA – A Nicaraguan-American who allegedly murdered his Nicaraguan wife and unsuccessfully tried to sink her body in the sea off the Florida Keys surrendered to Nicaraguan authorities, according to police spokeswoman Vilma Reyes.

Francisco Jarquín, 30, allegedly murdered his wife, Eliett Sequiera Ruíz, 28, and dumped her off the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys on July 13. She had been bound with telephone cords and gym weights, The Miami Herald reported.

Jarquín faces first-degree murder charges in the United States. Among the witnesses are his brother, who allegedly admitted to helping dispose of Sequiera's body.

After the killing, the murder suspect fled back to his native Nicaragua. He turned himself in to police in Managua on Saturday. According to Reyes, Jarquín is cooperating with police, who are pursuing a criminal complaint against him. She said he will go through the Nicaraguan penal process even though U.S. authorities have been pushing for Jarquín to be extradited. Nicaragua has no extradition agreement with the United States.