In September 2025, the community of Reading, Pennsylvania, was shaken by the tragic death of 31-year-old Junior Cabrera-Colon. His body was discovered in the brush along River Road near Baer Park on the morning of September 13, 2025. An investigation revealed he had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The discovery of Cabrera-Colon's body initiated a wider investigation when police learned that his wife, Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo, and their one-year-old son, Jeydon Junior Peguero, were
missing. The family had not been seen or heard from since the day before Cabrera-Colon was found.
The investigation quickly led police to a suspect, 61-year-old Jose Luis Rodriguez of Reading. After being interviewed by investigators on September 18, 2025, Rodriguez confessed to killing Cabrera-Colon and dumping his body. He claimed the shooting occurred during a physical altercation where a gun was knocked from Cabrera-Colon's hand, which Rodriguez then picked up and fired. Following his confession, Rodriguez was charged with first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and other related offenses in connection with Cabrera-Colon's death and was held in Berks County Prison.
The search for Peguero-Mancebo and her young son came to a devastating end when investigators located their bodies in Ontelaunee Township. Peguero-Mancebo's body was found in a field on September 19, and her son was discovered the following day in a marshy area nearby. Subsequently, Jose Luis Rodriguez also confessed to the murders of Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo and Jeyden Junior Peguero.
Authorities revealed that Rodriguez had a personal relationship with Peguero-Mancebo. The motive for the killings appeared to be a dispute over money and her refusal to leave her husband. Rodriguez admitted to shooting Peguero-Mancebo and then drowning her one-year-old son. In addition to the charges for Cabrera-Colon's murder, Rodriguez faced two more counts of first-degree murder. The Berks County District Attorney's office stated they were considering pursuing the death penalty.
