The East Orange man who abducted his son and estranged girlfriend led sheriff deputies to her body off a highway in Tennessee, authorities say.  

Tyler Rios, 27, is awaiting extradition to New Jersey after being arrested Saturday for kidnapping his 2-year-old son and 24-year-old Yasmine Uyar, of Rahway. The incident triggered an Amber Alert.

Rios was hiding out in a Tennessee motel room when sheriff's deputies tracked him down early Saturday. His son was found unharmed.

Rios soon led police to Uyar's body, in a wooded area off a highway of a small Tennessee town.

Neighbors in Rahway told News 12 they were shocked and saddened. At least two women who added to the small memorial of flowers told News 12 that they never met her, but they felt a kinship with her because they are survivors of domestic violence.

“It unfortunately is another demonstration of the ultimate form of domestic violence, the ultimate form of power and control,” says Nicole Morella, with the NJ Coalition to End Domestic Violence.

Uyar sought and obtained a final restraining order against Rios last year.

“The reality is, it's a piece of paper,” says Morella. “We have a huge challenge in this state of making sure restraining orders are enforced when they're violated.”

Uyar’s mother said Rios had been increasingly violent. He was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to choking her in 2018. A neighbor said Rios was back just a few months later, loudly arguing with her inside her home.

“I think there's a lot of fear of our systems, a lot of fear of what might happen,” says Morella. “In their eyes, their perpetrator has more control than anybody else, and unfortunately this case really demonstrates that.”

The Union County YWCA 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline is available for crisis counseling at 908-355-HELP. The statewide Domestic Violence Helpline is 1-800-572-SAFE.