A Fairfax County man has been charged with second-degree murder after his former girlfriend disappeared this month and investigators uncovered evidence she suffered a significant injury, authorities said Tuesday.

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       Fairfax County police and other agencies have been searching an area in and around Piscataway Park in Prince George’s County for Hannah Choi, 35, who was reported missing March 6, authorities said.

       Police also are looking for her alleged killer, Joel Mosso Merino, 27, who appears to have fled Virginia and was last seen in the Atlanta area, police said. Both Choi and Merino lived together in the 5300 block of Jesmond Street near the Kingstowne area of Fairfax County.

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       Choi was last seen at her home March 5, police said. The next day, friends went to her home, but Choi did not answer the door. Choi also missed several appointments and could not be reached, police said.

       The friends contacted police, who searched her home, police said. The house appeared to be in order, except for bedding that was missing from a bedroom, police said.

       Video evidence showed Choi and Merino together on the evening of March 5, police said. Detectives who interviewed friends and family said Choi may have had an argument with Merino on that date. Investigators believe the argument escalated and Merino struck Choi, who suffered a serious injury, police said.

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       “We believe Joel Merino killed Hannah inside of the Alexandria home that they lived in together,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference Tuesday. “We believe Joel Merino took Hannah’s body and disposed of Hannah’s body in a park, Piscataway Park.”

       Davis said they were able to charge Merino with murder and disposal of a body because they had an “abundance of evidence” in the case, but police declined to discuss the evidence.

       Rebecca Weiner, who was Choi’s employer and friend, said she last spoke with Choi on March 5 at about 7 p.m. She said Choi was working that night. Weiner said Choi hadn’t had issues with Merino, and police said he did not have a criminal record. Weiner said the couple had broken up several weeks before Choi’s slaying.

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       Weiner said Choi worked as an operations manager for her real estate firm, the Rebecca Weiner Group, and played pool professionally.

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       “She was honestly really incredible. She was extremely intelligent. Strong in her convictions. Brave and very empathetic. She was a management wiz,” Weiner said. “If this was one of us missing, she would not have given up.”

       Weiner said Choi had a sister and two parents. Her sister, Minna, released a statement.

       “I will now forever be without my life coach and cheerleader,” the statement read. “We were supposed to be partners-in-crime, through thick and thin, forever. But now, she’s been taken away from me and everyone who loves her.”

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       On March 7, police located a vehicle in D.C. that Merino was said to be driving on the night of Choi’s disappearance. Police searched the vehicle and said they uncovered evidence that Choi was harmed before her disappearance.

       After further investigation, detectives determined that Merino spent a significant amount of time near Piscataway Park, which is in Accokeek, Md., on the night of Choi’s disappearance. The park on the Potomac River covers about 5,000 acres, and police have yet to locate Choi’s body.