Suspect Arrested In Cleaning Woman's Murder

After monitoring him for a week, police arrested Joseph Pabon in connection to the murder of a cleaning woman in a lower Manhattan office building. Police spokesman Paul Browne said, "We have linked DNA of Joseph Pabon of Staten Island to the murder of the cleaning lady at Rector Street." The Post reports that DNA found under murder victim Eridania Rodriguez's nails matched Pabon's: "Police said Pabon tried to sexually assault Rodriguez, but she fought back so ferociously that she scratched his hands and arms and squeezed him so fiercely that she left a palm print."

Last Saturday, Rodriguez's body was found stuffed in an AC vent on a restricted floor at 2 Rector Street. Rodriguez, who had been missing since the previous Tuesday, died of asphyxia and was found with bound feet and hands. Pabon, who worked at the building's freight elevator operator, was one of the people of interest, due to his ability to access the floor, a previous assault on a girlfriend and some scratches on his arms. He was taken into police station for fingerprinting as well as for a DNA sample on Thursday.

The Staten Island Advance reports that Pabon was arrested when leaving a children's birthday party at his father's home: "With guns drawn, the officers hopped out and surrounded the older-model Honda Accord in which Pabon was a passenger." According to the Daily News, when the police approached Pabon last night, they yelled, "Get out of the f-----g car! You're under arrest!" Pabon raised his arm and said, "Ah, f---!" when handcuffed. Passers-by reportedly clapped. Rodriguez's brother said, "I'm so glad. I'm so glad... We knew deep in our hearts it was him. Now, he's going to know what it's like to suffer -- maybe not like my sister, but he's going to know."

Pabon's attorney Mario Gallucci told the Advance, "Right now, what I'm learning through the media is that there is an overwhelming amount of evidence against my client. I am no stranger to difficult cases or unpopular clients and when the facts come out, there is [going to be] more to this than meets the eye," he said following the noon proceeding." He also offered this quote to other papers, "My client stands here today innocent of the crimes alleged, and completely denies the allegation. He looks forward to the day he has an opportunity to fight these allegations in court."

Email This Entry


Comments (14) [rss]

when the facts come out, there is [going to be] more to this than meets the eye

That's right. There's probably a mountain of proof, and you'll look like a complete idiot for insisting he's innocent.

Another thing that's creepy: according to the sex offender's registry, his father pleaded guilty six years ago of statutory rape of his 14-year-old girlfriend. Since Pabon Jr. is 26, that would make him about 19-20 when he had the girlfriend. A 19-year-old with a girlfriend who's 14. That's just sick. Both father and son are a couple of pedophiles.

Well, not to really defend him but your age calculation could be slightly off. The guilty plea was in 2003, but the arrest could easily have been a year before that. And the offense could have been some number of years even before that. And, according to prior news stories, she was his "ex girlfriend," and had gone to the father asking for advice in getting him back.

The father's advice: "it would help if you were more sexually mature." So he began having sex with her.

So yeah, dirtbag family but it's not clear how old Joseph Pabon was when he was with the 14-year old. Or how old she was for that matter -- his relationship with her could have ended a year before she went to his father. She may have been 13 while with the son for all we know.

Ah yes, see previous comment, I knew the finger nails would nail him!

In a perfectly karmic turn, Mr. Pabon (if found guilty) might perish at the hands of another inmate while on janitorial duty — much like Jeffrey Dahmer's final moments.

AHHH, i love modern technology.

GOOD GOD, Ugh!!

Did you have to subject my innocent eyes to that butt-ugly trash turd of a girlfriend??

Lisa Marie Blumenberg?

Any relation to our glorious three term mayor?

Now, he's going to know what it's like to suffer-


Hopefully at the hands of the MS13, who would provide him with a nightly buffet of man-pipe...

I wonder if Pabon is as good at fighting off a sexual assault as the unfortunate Ms Eridania Rodriguez was?

He'll get plenty of practice in the showers and the laundry room.

Good. It must be nerve-wracking to have to follow a jerk while waiting for positive test results. In any event, good collar and here's hoping that we never see or hear of Mr. Pabon again.

Indeed. Fantastic detective work. Let's hope they put this guy under the jail.

They probably had no doubt that evidence was accumulating. All they were doing was keeping him in sight to make sure he couldn't take off while the case was being built. No big deal.

Post a comment (Comment Policy)

Tips

Get your daily dose of New York first thing in the morning from our weekday newsletter, now in beta.

About Gothamist

Gothamist is a website about New York. More

Editor: Jen Chung
Publisher: Jake Dobkin

Newsmap

newsmap.jpg

Contribute

Latest Tip:

It's the same media that NEVER mentioned Muslims' hatred of Israel as a possible motive for 9/11.
[more]

Latest Photo:

Subscribe

Use an RSS reader to stay up to date with the latest news and posts from Gothamist.

All Our RSS

Follow us