BRIGHTON — State Police were searching for a homicide suspect in the Brighton-Paul Smiths area as of press time Monday evening.

Anthony G. Bechand, 53, was the live-in boyfriend of Amanda Rodriguez, 41, whose body was found by Cohoes Police in their Cohoes home on Sunday morning, according to Cohoes Mayor Bill Keeler.

New York State Police said Bechand’s white 2024 Chevrolet Silverado was located later that day, 150 miles away, at the intersection of county Route 60 and state Route 86 in Brighton. The truck, which has a dent in the left side of the tailgate, was towed from where it was found by Monday morning.

Cohoes Police Chief Todd Waldin said Bechand has ties to this area, but those exact ties are unknown.

“It’s a possibility he lived there previously, but I’m not certain,” Waldin said.

Bechand is described as a white man, 5’11”, 180 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair. Police say he may be armed and dangerous. His clothing is unknown.

Anyone who has seen him or has information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the New York State Police at 518-897-2000.

“Do not approach him,” State Police spokeswoman Brandi Ashley said. “Your assistance is vital as this investigation continues.”

Waldin is telling the public to be on alert out of an abundance of caution.

“As a precaution, we’re going to put out there that he could be armed and dangerous,” Waldin said. “We have no way of confirming 100% if he’s armed, but due to the circumstances of what we’re investigating, everyone should treat him that way.”

His whereabouts were still unknown as of Monday evening.

Ashley said there is a heavy police presence in the area where the truck was found, and that troopers searched the woods late into the night on Sunday before starting back up again on Monday morning. Waldin said several agencies were searching the wooded terrain all around the area “using all resources possible.”

Keeler said that Rodriguez had likely been killed within the past 30 hours before her body was found in the single-family house on Earl Lynn Court on Sunday.

“It’s fair to say that investigators are looking to speak with the victim’s boyfriend,” Keeler said of Bechand.

Keeler said Rodriguez’s mother had not heard from her, so she asked Rodriguez’s friend to check on her. The friend found her body and called police, Keeler said.

An autopsy of Rodriguez to determine the cause and manner of death was conducted today at noon by Forensic Pathologist Bernard Ng at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady.

Kumi Tucker, a reporter with WNYT NewsChannel 13 said Rodriguez’s cause of death was found to be hemorrhagic shock due to lacerated aorta, and multiple pulmonary lacerations as a consequence of multiple sharp force trauma.

“She was stabbed in the chest multiple times with a sharp object,” Tucker wrote on Facebook.

Rodriguez’s death was ruled a homicide.

Keeler said Rodriguez was likely killed on Saturday. He said Bechand’s truck was seen leaving the house that day. Police tracked the truck via license plate readers to the North Country and they found the truck in Brighton through “boots on the ground” searching. The drive between Cohoes and Brighton takes more than two and a half hours.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers and officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection are assisting with the ongoing search. If Bechand attempts to cross the border into Canada in an unmanned area, Keeler, a retired state trooper, said there are sensors on the border to detect movement and notify law enforcement.

New York State Police Major Crimes team and Forensic Identification Unit are assisting with the investigation.

Keeler said Rodriguez purchased the Cohoes home 10 years ago and there was no record of police calls to the home. Waldin said Bechand had no known criminal history.

Waldin said the case was “unusual” because it took place in such a “quiet area.” The last murder in Cohoes was in 2023, he said.

“I think it goes without saying that our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family,” Keeler said.