Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams announced Monday that a Reading man already jailed for one homicide has now been charged with killing a city woman and her one-year-old son, whose bodies were found earlier this month in Ontelaunee Township.
Adams detailed the new charges during a press conference, saying the evidence, confession, and timeline all point to Jose Luis Rodriguez, 61, of Reading, as responsible for the deaths of Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo and her son, Jeyden Junior Peguero. “This is one of the most disturbing and heartbreaking cases we have seen in Berks County,” Adams said. “The murder of a mother and her infant child is almost beyond comprehension.”
On Friday, September 19, at about 8:15 p.m., investigators located the body of Peguero-Mancebo in a grassy area off East Huller Lane in Ontelaunee Township. The following day, her toddler son’s body was found roughly 150 yards away in a marshy area. Both deaths were later ruled homicides following autopsies at Tower Health Reading Hospital.
“When investigators found the child’s pacifier near Geraldina’s body, we feared the worst,” Adams said. “The discovery of Jeyden’s body the next day confirmed those fears in the most tragic way.”
Rodriguez confessed to shooting Junior Cabrera-Colon and was charged on September 18 with first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and related crimes in that case. He has remained in Berks County Prison since his arrest.
At the time, police said Peguero-Mancebo and her son had not been seen since September 12. They were entered as missing and endangered in the National Crime Database.
Affidavit: confession and timeline
According to the newly filed criminal complaint and affidavit of probable cause, Rodriguez told detectives that he was involved in an intimate relationship with Peguero-Mancebo and provided her with money, including for her apartment. District Attorney Adams clarified during the press conference that this was Rodriguez’s claim and that the true nature of their relationship remains unclear.
On the evening of September 12, Rodriguez picked up Peguero-Mancebo and Jeyden in his white Nissan Quest. Surveillance footage and license plate readers later placed the vehicle in multiple locations across Reading and eventually near East Huller Lane in Ontelaunee Township.
Rodriguez told investigators that he drove Peguero-Mancebo and her son to East Huller Lane intending to kill her because she did not want to leave her husband and, he claimed, was “constantly taking his money.” He admitted to shooting her in the back of the head.
Rodriguez then placed Jeyden face down in nearby water. The affidavit states he confirmed the child was still alive at the time but said he did not seek medical help because he feared being caught.
“The fact that this baby was alive when he was placed in that water is something that will haunt all of us who have worked this case,” Adams said.
Evidence recovered
Investigators said phone records and video surveillance corroborated Rodriguez’s movements that evening, showing both his vehicle and Peguero-Mancebo’s phone stationary near East Huller Lane during the time of the killings.
On September 22, Rodriguez led detectives to where he had hidden Peguero-Mancebo’s purse, passport, and cell phone in a plastic grocery bag off North 5th Street. He also directed them to the rear of a home on Centre Avenue where the firearm used in the killing was concealed beneath porch steps. The weapon, a Kimber EVO SP 9mm, had previously been reported lost in shipping.
Autopsies conducted the same day confirmed Peguero-Mancebo died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Jeyden’s cause of death was determined to be drowning, with medical examiners finding water in his lungs.
Rodriguez is now charged with:
- Two counts of first-degree murder (for Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo and Jeyden Junior Peguero)
- Two counts of third-degree murder
- Abuse of corpse
- Possessing instruments of crime
- Firearms not to be carried without a license
Adams said the evidence shows Rodriguez acted alone. “This defendant carried out these killings by himself. We have no reason to believe anyone else was involved,” he told reporters.
Rodriguez remains held in Berks County Prison.
Adams also said his office will review the case for possible capital punishment. “We will be considering whether the death penalty is appropriate in this case, given the circumstances and aggravating factors,” he said.
Authorities continue to ask anyone with information related to this case to contact the Berks County Detective’s Office at 610-478-7171, the Reading Police Department at 610-655-6116, or Crime Alert Berks County at 877-373-9913.
Adams noted that Rodriguez did not have a prior criminal record. When asked about Rodriguez’s immigration status by reporters, Adams said Rodriguez is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who is in the United States legally on a work visa.
“Our community is shaken, and our hearts are broken for these victims,” Adams said in closing. “We will pursue justice for Geraldina and Jeyden with every resource we have.”
