Sydney woman questioned over accused killer Barbaro

Police have spoken to glamorous Sydney woman Crystal Shihada over why Victorian accused runaway killer Ricardo “Rick” Barbaro was found in her Western Sydney penthouse after a 10-day interstate manhunt.

• Barbaro a bloody mess after police raided luxury penthouse
• Family’s heartbreak over murdered daughter

Police have spoken to Sydney woman Crystal Shihada over why accused runaway killer Ricardo “Rick” Barbaro was found in her Western Sydney penthouse after a 10-day interstate manhunt, as he was driven nine hours back to Victoria.

Barbaro, 33, arrived in Melbourne on Friday for his first night in the care of Victoria Police since they discovered young mother Ellie Price — Barbaro’s girlfriend and a mother of one — dead in her home there on May 4.

Barbaro was arrested at the Wentworth Point apartment of Crystal Shihada. Picture: Facebook

A nationwide manhunt for Barbaro ended with police storming Ms Shihada’s apartment in the plush Hvar suites on Amalfi Dr, Wentworth Point about 1am Thursday.

Barbaro is understood to have run into a mirror trying to flee officers but was arrested. Ms Shihada was not home at the time.

It’s understood the striking 27-year-old had spoken to police. They said those “inquiries remain ongoing”.

Concord Hospital staff treated Barbaro’s face lacerations and other injuries following the arrest before he was charged on Thursday with “execution of Victorian arrest warrant … for the offence of murder”.

Ricardo Barbaro is escorted to a prison van at Burwood Court on Thursday. Picture: Joel Carrett/AAP

His extradition was approved in a brief hearing at Parramatta Local Court before his journey back to Melbourne early on Friday.

He was expected to be formally interviewed and charged to Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday.

Barbaro is a father of two, once considered the “bright one” in a family with generations of underworld connections.

Ellie Price was found dead in her South Melbourne home on May 4.

Police said he was not considered part of the Barbaro mafia family and had no serious criminal associations.

Ms Price’s grieving mother Tracey Gangell said, following Barbaro’s arrest, she would fly to Melbourne from her home in Tasmania, where Ms Price grew up, to see that “justice is served”.

“I am relieved but this still doesn’t bring her back,” Ms Gangell said.

Ms Gangell said she felt “numb” upon learning her daughter was dead and had to tell her four-year-old grandson his mother was never coming home.

The Wentworth Point street of the apartment where Barbaro was arrested. Picture: Georgia Clark

Originally published as Sydney woman questioned over accused killer Barbaro