Federico Vella allegedly kidnapped his ex-girlfriend Lorena Isceri from her home before throwing her off a bridge in Florence, Italy
Investigators are determining whether Isceri, 45, was killed before the fall or during it
Isceri's death is part of a troubling rise in "femicides" in Italy, with 40 women killed so far this year
A man has been accused of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and throwing her off a highway bridge before jumping to his own death in Italy.
On Thursday, Sept. 3, Federico Vella allegedly abducted his ex-girlfriend, Lorena Isceri, from her home in the Rifredi area of Florence and drove to the A1 highway, where he threw her off a bridge, Italian outlets Il Mattino, La Sicilia and the U.K.'s The Guardian reported.
Vella, 38, is believed to have waited in Isceri's garage for her to return home before kidnapping her. According to the outlets, he then locked her in the trunk of his car and left the premises.
Isceri, 45, who worked in the veterinary sector, had her cellphone at the time of her abduction and called the police for help. However, Vella allegedly snatched the cellphone from Isceri and threw her off the bridge.
Highway Patrol officers arrived to find Vella teetering on the bridge moments before jumping off it.
Local investigators have ordered an autopsy to determine whether Isceri was killed before being thrown from the bridge or during the fall, per Il Mattino and La Sicilia.
Isceri's mother told SkyTG24, "I last heard from her yesterday at 10:30 a.m. and she was calm. She had told me about this relationship; she was afraid, too afraid."
In an Instagram post shared on Aug. 12, Vella spoke of his heartbreak after splitting up with Isceri as he shared a montage of photos and clips of the pair.
"Some things fit together so perfectly that, even if you separate them, the other's shape stays with you forever," he wrote in the caption. "To you, the woman I loved with all my heart and lost because of my foolishness. I will be yours even if I can no longer be yours."
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Prosecutor Antonio Natale with the Public Prosecutor's Office in Florence (POF) and the Florence mobile squad are leading the investigation into the deaths, per Il Mattino.
Isceri's death follows a string of apparent femicides that have occurred in Italy in 2026.
As of Aug. 8, 40 women have been killed in the country and seven others, including Isceri, were killed by a current or former partner, according to the feminist alliance organization Non Una di Meno and The Guardian.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Florence mobile squad and POF for comment.
Read the original article on People