A Pennsylvania man will spend the rest of his life in prison after admitting to a triple homicide that claimed the lives of a young couple and their infant son.
Jose Rodriguez, 61, entered a negotiated guilty plea on April 14, 2026, in connection with the deaths of Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo, 31, Junior Cabrera-Colon, 31, and their 1-year-old son, Jeyden Junior Peguero. A judge sentenced him to three consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
Authorities said the killings stemmed from a personal relationship dispute. Rodriguez had been involved with Peguero-Mancebo and was listed as a co-signer on her apartment lease. Investigators determined he planned the attack after she refused to leave her husband.
The violence began on the night of September 12, 2025. Around 8:30 p.m., Rodriguez picked up Peguero-Mancebo and her child along North 5th Street in Reading. He drove them to a remote area in Ontelaunee Township, where he shot Peguero-Mancebo in the back of the head.
He then drove away with the child. Prosecutors said Rodriguez threw the 1-year-old into a nearby body of water, leaving him to die.
The following day, the situation escalated again. On September 13, Rodriguez encountered Cabrera-Colon on Pear Street in Reading. The two men argued. During the confrontation, Rodriguez shot and killed him.
Police discovered Cabrera-Colon’s body early that morning near Baer Park. At the same time, officers were already searching for Peguero-Mancebo and her child after they were reported missing.
Surveillance footage later placed Rodriguez’s vehicle near the crime scene. He was arrested on September 18 and initially claimed he acted in self-defense when he shot Cabrera-Colon.
That account unraveled quickly. Investigators located Peguero-Mancebo’s body on September 19 in Ontelaunee Township. The next day, they found her son’s body nearby, partially submerged in mud and water near the shoreline.
During a second interview, Rodriguez confessed to killing both the mother and child. He told detectives he acted out of anger because she refused to leave her husband and “because she was constantly taking his money,” according to the criminal complaint.
Rodriguez later guided investigators to key evidence, including the weapon used in the killings and personal belongings belonging to the victim.
He was formally charged with the murders of Peguero-Mancebo and her son on September 29. Prosecutors had considered seeking the death penalty before the plea agreement was reached.
Officials confirmed Rodriguez had no prior criminal record before the case.
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