Man pleads guilty to killing couple and attempting to drown their 1-year-old child in a marsh.
A 61-year-old man from Pennsylvania, Jose Luis Rodriguez, is facing multiple murder charges following a gruesome incident that resulted in the deaths of a young couple and their infant child. Berks County prosecutors announced on Monday that Rodriguez has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and additional counts related to the abuse of a corpse, stemming from his admission of guilt in the killings.
The timeline of events began on September 13, when police discovered the body of 31-year-old Junior Cabrera-Colon in a park in Reading, Pennsylvania, approximately 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Rodriguez, who was known to be a close family friend, later confessed on September 18, indicating that the shooting was a result of self-defense during an argument. This initial confession led to his arrest on charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse.
However, the investigation soon turned more horrifying. Upon further questioning, Rodriguez confessed to also murdering Cabrera-Colon’s wife, 31-year-old Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo, and their one-year-old son, Jeyden Junior Peguero. Prosecutors report that the motive behind these additional killings stemmed from Peguero-Mancebo’s alleged reluctance to leave her husband. The details of this confession included an appalling claim that Rodriguez threw the live infant into a marshy pond, leading to the child’s drowning.
The subsequent search for Peguero-Mancebo and her son began after they were reported missing on September 15. Police located Peguero-Mancebo’s body on September 19 in a remote section of Ontelaunee Township, roughly ten miles south of Reading. The next day, authorities retrieved the body of Jeyden from a nearby marsh area, where an autopsy later confirmed his lungs were filled with mud, indicating he had been alive when submerged.
The complexity of this case has drawn significant public attention, with local officials expressing their horror at the circumstances. Berks County District Attorney John Adams labeled the act as exceptionally brutal and indicated that he is considering pursuing the death penalty for Rodriguez.
This case underscores significant concerns regarding domestic violence and the tragic consequences that can arise from such situations, particularly affecting vulnerable members of families. As the legal proceedings unfold, the community grapples with the implications of this tragedy that has deeply impacted the local area.
