Pennsylvania Man Faces Triple Murder Charges After Executing Couple and Throwing Their Baby Into Lake
READING, Pennsylvania — A 61-year-old man accused of killing a Reading couple now faces triple murder charges after police say he also executed the woman and their 1-year-old baby boy, dumping the child in a nearby lake.
The suspect, Jose Luis Rodriguez, allegedly admitted to shooting Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo, 30, in the head after she refused to leave her husband, Junior Cabrera-Colon, 33, for him.
From Affair to Murder
According to a criminal complaint, Rodriguez told police he was in an “intimate relationship” with Peguero-Mancebo and regularly provided her money, including paying rent. When she told him she would not leave her husband, he claimed he became infuriated, accusing her of “constantly taking his money.”
On September 12, Peguero-Mancebo was last seen carrying her son Jayden into Rodriguez’s white Nissan Quest. Investigators tracked cell phone data that placed the two at East Huller Lane, where Rodriguez admitted he planned to kill her.
Mother and Child Killed
Police say Rodriguez shot Peguero-Mancebo in the back of the head before disposing of her body. He then allegedly drove her son Jayden to a nearby lake and threw the child face-down into muddy water, where he drowned. An autopsy confirmed mud was present in Jayden’s lungs, showing he was alive when submerged.
Rodriguez told police he avoided bringing the baby to a hospital “for fear of getting caught.”
Father Found Dead the Next Day
On September 13, Cabrera-Colon was found dead near Baer Park, shot in the head. Authorities confirmed during a Monday press conference that the mother and child were killed before the father.
Rodriguez later directed investigators to the murder weapon, a 9 mm handgun he had hidden under a porch. The gun had previously been reported as “lost in shipping” by UPS in June.
Charges and Community Impact
Rodriguez now faces a staggering list of charges, including:
- Three counts of first-degree murder
- Three counts of third-degree murder
- Two counts of abuse of a corpse
- Tampering with evidence
- Carrying a firearm without a license
He remains in the Berks County Jail without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on October 3.
A GoFundMe launched by relatives is raising funds to return the victims’ bodies to the Dominican Republic, where the couple leaves behind three other children, ages 8, 10, and 13.
The case has devastated the Reading community and drawn national attention for its brutal nature. For more breaking crime updates and justice news, follow ChicagoMusicGuide.com.