A Pennsylvania man is charged with killing a woman, her husband, and their 1-year-old son in a love triangle gone horribly wrong.
Jose Rodriguez, 61, is charged with murdering Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo, 31, her husband Junior Cabrera-Colon, 31, and their infant son Jeyden Peguero.
Jose is currently in the Berks County Jail charged with first-degree murder and other related crimes. He faces the death penalty if convicted.
Police in Reading, Pennsylvania began searching for the family after they were reported missing. Geraldina was last seen getting into Jose’s SUV with Jeyden in Reading on Sept. 12.
Junior was found dead in Baer Park in Reading on Sept. 13. He died of a single gunshot wound to the head.
On Sept. 19, police found Geraldina’s body in a field in Ontelaunee Township. She was shot in the back of the head.
The next day, her son Jeyden’s body was found partially submerged in a marsh pond about 150 yards away from where his mother was found. His cause of death was drowning.
“How can you kill a 1-year-old baby, a baby that you used to carry, that you used to play with him? How do you have the heart?” said Heinel Medrano Mancebo, Geraldina’s cousin.
Geraldina’s three surviving children — ages 13, 10, and 8 — live in the Dominican Republic with her family members.
“I prayed God, like Jesus, can you please give me the words to tell them, ‘Listen, your family are in heaven right now with your baby brother?'” Medrano Mancebo said. “Whenever we get to heaven, we’re going to meet them.”
After reviewing surveillance video, investigators interviewed Jose, who allegedly confessed to shooting Junior in the head and dumping his body in the park.
He admitted picking up Geraldina and her son with the intention of killing her on Sept. 12.
Jose, Geraldina and Junior previously worked together at a warehouse. Jose became Geraldina’s sugar daddy, providing for her financially and renting an apartment for her.
Geraldina listed Jose as her husband on the application for the apartment, but apartment staff said they never saw him.
Jose told investigators he was infuriated that Geraldina was taking his money while living with Junior.
The older man set his sinister plan in motion when Geraldina refused to leave her husband for him.
He admitted picking up mother and son in Reading on Sept. 12. He drove them to a grassy field in Ontelaunee Township, where he shot Geraldina in the head as she held her son.
He then drove down the street and threw Jeyden face down in a shallow pond. Jeyden’s autopsy revealed mud in his lungs.
Jose later told police Junior arrived at his home on Sept. 13 to confront him about his involvement with Geraldina.
He claimed Junior produced a gun during the argument. He managed to grab the gun and shot Junior in the back of the head. He then drove to Baer Park where he left his body.
Surveillance cameras captured Jose’s SUV in the area hours before Junior’s body was discovered by police.
Police arrested Jose on Sept. 18 and charged him with first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of an instrument of crime, and tampering with evidence.
Jose led police to where he hid Geraldina’s purse and cell phone and the gun he used to kill her.
He remains in the Berks County Jail without bond.
