Tag:

Murder

Duo Indicted In Grisly Killing Of Missing NJ Father Found 100+ Miles From Home: Prosecutors Duo Indicted In Grisly Killing Of Missing NJ Father Found 100+ Miles From Home: Prosecutors
Duo Indicted In Grisly Killing Of Missing NJ Father Found 100+ Miles From Home: Prosecutors An Arizona woman and a Tinton Falls man were indicted in the killing of an Irvington man whose body was found in Atlantic County, more than 100 miles from his home, authorities said. A grand jury indicted 37-year-old Franchesa Burgos-Gonzalez of Phoenix and 28-year-old Dyshawn Bostick on Wednesday, Dec. 11, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. They were charged with murder, conspiracy, and gun offenses. The two were accused of being responsible for the June death of 33-year-old Isaac Bishop, who was reported missing on Tuesday, June 11. His bod…
Life In Prison For BF Who Beat, Stabbed GF Dead In Bergen County Home: Prosecutor Life In Prison For BF Who Beat, Stabbed GF Dead In Bergen County Home: Prosecutor
Life In Prison For BF Who Beat, Stabbed GF Dead In Bergen County Home: Prosecutor A Bergen County man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of the 2021 murder of his girlfriend, who he stabbed and beat in her home, prosecutors said. Patrick J. Camilli, 59, of Washington Township, was sentenced to life in prison on Dec. 6, following his conviction for the 2021 murder of 51-year-old Mary E. Huber, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. The crime occurred on Oct. 24, 2021, when police responded to a 911 call at a private residence in Washington Township shortly after midnight. Officers found Camilli lying on top of Huber, with a k…
CEO Murder: Luigi Mangione Notebook Detailing Shooting Plans Revealed, Reports Say CEO Murder: Luigi Mangione Notebook Detailing Shooting Plans Revealed, Reports Say
CEO Murder: Luigi Mangione Notebook Detailing Shooting Plans Revealed, Reports Say Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was found in possession of a handwritten manifesto that sheds light on his alleged motives.  CNN was first to report the discovery.  The three-page document opens with a confession and asserts that Mangione acted independently, according to a report published Wednesday morning, Dec. 11 by The New York Times. He condemns UnitedHealthcare's increasing market capitalization amid declining American life expectancy and criticizes corporations for exploiting the country for pr…
CEO Murder: How A Hash Brown At McDonald's Ended Manhunt For Luigi Mangione CEO Murder: How A Hash Brown At McDonald's Ended Manhunt For Luigi Mangione
CEO Murder: How A Hash Brown At McDonald's Ended Manhunt For Luigi Mangione The rare times in which Luigi Nicholas Mangione removed his face mask may have been the main reason for his arrest for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson after a five-day manhunt. Click here for a new, updated story - CEO Murder: Luigi Mangione Notebook Detailing Shooting Plans Revealed, Reports Say In the first instance, Mangione was asked by a receptionist at a hostel in Manhattan's Upper West Side to remove the mask so she could compare his face to the photo on an allegedly fake ID. The 26-year-old Maryland native checked in there 10 days before the targeted shooti…
Murder Charges Rock Mangione Dynasty: Inside Accused CEO Killer's Elite Bloodline Murder Charges Rock Mangione Dynasty: Inside Accused CEO Killer's Elite Bloodline
Murder Charges Rock Mangione Dynasty: Inside Accused CEO Killer's Elite Bloodline Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old former Ivy Leaguer accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, hails from one of Maryland’s most prominent and influential families, known for their vast business holdings and political connections. ALSO SEE: Ivy-Educated Suspect May Have Spiraled After Traumatic Back Surgery Mangione, a Towson native, graduated as valedictorian from the prestigious Gilman School in Baltimore.  His grandfather, Nicholas Mangione, was a powerful real estate developer and co-founder of Lorien Health Services, a company operating nearly a dozen assisted-li…
CEO Murder: Whiz Kid Suspect May Have Spiraled After Traumatic Back Surgery CEO Murder: Whiz Kid Suspect May Have Spiraled After Traumatic Back Surgery
CEO Murder: Whiz Kid Suspect May Have Spiraled After Traumatic Back Surgery Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the whiz kid Ivy League-educated high school valedictorian accused of the execution-style murder of the CEO of one of the nation's largest healthcare providers, may have spiraled out of control after traumatic back surgery. Click here for a new, updated story - CEO Murder: How A Hash Brown At McDonald's Ended Manhunt For Luigi Mangione The procedure, which allegedly left Mangione in significant physical and emotional distress, may have contributed to his deteriorating mental state, a factor authorities are considering as part of their investigation. …
NJ Woman Confesses To Killing Toms River Man In Grisly Dismemberment Case: Prosecutors NJ Woman Confesses To Killing Toms River Man In Grisly Dismemberment Case: Prosecutors
NJ Woman Confesses To Killing Toms River Man In Grisly Dismemberment Case: Prosecutors A Seaside Heights woman has admitted to killing a Toms River man whose body was dismembered, authorities said. Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, pleaded guilty on Monday, Dec. 9 to aggravated manslaughter, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. She was previously indicted on Thursday, Oct. 24 for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, hindering apprehension, desecration of human remains, and eight weapons charges. Mascarelli was among the four people charged in the killing of 56-year-old Kerry Rollason. Danielle Bolstad, 42, of Barnegat; Jared …
Who Is Luigi Mangione? What We Know About Person Of Interest In CEO Murder Who Is Luigi Mangione? What We Know About Person Of Interest In CEO Murder
Who Is Luigi Mangione? What We Know About Person Of Interest In CEO Murder After a week of speculation and viral memes on social media, authorities have identified a person of interest in the killing of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny announced Monday, Dec. 9, that 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who has ties to Maryland, is considered a suspect in the murder. He was eating at a McDonald's in Altoona, PA when an employee recognized him and called local police, Kenny said (scroll down for more on Mangione's apprehension). Mangione's Facebook page shows that he is from Towson, MD and studied at the University of Pennsylvania. His…
New Update - CEO Murder: ID Released For 26-Year-Old Being Held In PA In Connection To Case New Update - CEO Murder: ID Released For 26-Year-Old Being Held In PA In Connection To Case
New Update - CEO Murder: ID Released For 26-Year-Old Being Held In PA In Connection To Case The identity has been released of a 26-year-old being held in Pennsylvania in connection with the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. Click here for the latest update - Ivy Leaguer From Prominent Family Officially Charged With CEO's Murder, Faces Extradition To NY The man was located in Altoona, about 280 miles away from Manhattan and about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh, after a Greyhound bus he was traveling on stopped at a McDonald's, authorities said. The man has been ID'd as Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the NYPD announced. Mangione is from Towson, M…
New Photos, Video Show Brazen Targeted Killing Of UnitedHealthcare CEO In Manhattan New Photos, Video Show Brazen Targeted Killing Of UnitedHealthcare CEO In Manhattan
New Photos, Video Show Brazen Targeted Killing Of UnitedHealthcare CEO In Manhattan Police have released photos of the suspect who was lying in wait before the brazen targeted killing of the CEO of one of the nation's largest healthcare companies in midtown Manhattan. Click here for a new, updated story - Unmasked: New Photos Show Face Of Suspect In Targeted Killing Of CEO In Manhattan The executive, Brian Thompson of UnitedHealthcare, was shot outside the the New York Hilton Midtown at 1335 Sixth Ave. at around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, the NYPD said. The gunman, wearing a black face mask, a gray backpack, and a dark jacket, approached the victim from behi…
DNA Match Cracks 1997 NJ Murder Case, Suspect Arrested In Canada DNA Match Cracks 1997 NJ Murder Case, Suspect Arrested In Canada
DNA Match Cracks 1997 NJ Murder Case, Suspect Arrested In Canada After 27 years, authorities announced an arrest in a major Bridgewater cold case murder. Robert Creter, a 60-year-old Winnipeg, Manitoba resident was charged with the murder of Tamara "Tammy" Tignor, 23, of Newark,  Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said Monday, Dec. 2. Bridgewater police received a 9-1-1 call reporting the discovery of Tignor's body by a Bridgewater resident on a dirt access road that ended in a cul-de-sac off Gilbride Road near Washington Valley Park on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 1997, McDonald said. An autopsy determined her death to be a homicide, authorities sai…
NJ Ex-Con Charged In Deadly Attack Near Times Square NJ Ex-Con Charged In Deadly Attack Near Times Square
NJ Ex-Con Charged In Deadly Attack Near Times Square A New Jersey man recently released from prison has been arrested and charged with murder after a young Manhattan woman died from injuries sustained in an assault, according to the NYPD. Leslie Torres, 23, was walking on West 46th Street near 8th Avenue when she was attacked by Jaheem Warren, 33, of Prospect Park, on Tuesday, Oct. 29 around 1:35 p.m., according to NBC and the NYPD. Torres was left unconscious on the sidewalk in front of the Riu Plaza New York Times Square Hotel, NBC says. Torres, who lived on West 45th Street, was in critical condition when she arrived at Mount Sinai W…
Hitchhiker's 50-Year-Cold Case Cracked By NJ College's Genealogy Center Hitchhiker's 50-Year-Cold Case Cracked By NJ College's Genealogy Center
Hitchhiker's 50-Year-Cold Case Cracked By NJ College's Genealogy Center After nearly five decades without answers, the 1974 murder of Mary Schlais has been solved, thanks to groundbreaking work by the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) Center in Mahwah, NJ.  On Nov. 7, 2024, the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department announced the arrest of Jon Miller, 84, of Owatonna, MN, in connection with Schlais’s death. Schlais, then 25, was hitchhiking from Minneapolis to Chicago when she was killed. Her body was found with multiple stab wounds along a road in Dunn County, WI, on Feb. 15, 1974.  At the scene, investigators collected a stocking cap t…
Fifth Suspect Captured In NJ Detective's Home Invasion Killing, Prosecutors Say Fifth Suspect Captured In NJ Detective's Home Invasion Killing, Prosecutors Say
Fifth Suspect Captured In NJ Detective's Home Invasion Killing, Prosecutors Say A fifth person has been arrested in the violent home invasion that killed a Cumberland County detective, authorities said. Byron Thomas of Paulsboro was charged with two counts of first-degree murder among other offenses, the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Sgt. Monica Mosley, a detective sergeant with the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, was shot and killed in her Bridgeton home late at night on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Nyshawn Mutcherson, 29, of Vineland; Jarred Brown, 31, of Bridgeton; and Richard Hawkins Willis, 32, of Gl…
NJ Man Convicted Of Beating Mom To Death, Prosecutor Says NJ Man Convicted Of Beating Mom To Death, Prosecutor Says
NJ Man Convicted Of Beating Mom To Death, Prosecutor Says A 38-year-old Maplewood resident was convicted on Monday, Oct. 21 of murder charges in his mother's death, which he then framed as a suicide, authorities said. Benjamin Avrut was found guilty of first-degree murder after beating his 70-year-old-mothe Gwen to death, Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said. The jury had rejected Avrut's insanity defense. On Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, Avrut entered his sleeping mother's apartment at The Top, a luxury condominium in Maplewood, Stephens said. When she awoke, Avrut beat her to death with his fists, Stephens said.  Avrut,  who had a hist…
Four Arrested In NJ Detective's Home Invasion Killing: 'Significant Step Toward Justice' Four Arrested In NJ Detective's Home Invasion Killing: 'Significant Step Toward Justice'
Four Arrested In NJ Detective's Home Invasion Killing: 'Significant Step Toward Justice' Four people have been charged for their roles in a violent home invasion that left a Cumberland County detective dead, authorities announced. Nyshawn Mutcherson, 29, of Vineland; Jarred Brown, 31, of Bridgeton; and Richard Hawkins Willis, 32, of Gloucester City, were each charged with first-degree murder, the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release on Monday, Oct. 28. Cyndia Pimentel, 38, of Paulsboro, was also facing charges in the case. Sgt. Monica Mosley, a detective sergeant with the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, was shot and killed in her Brid…
Gruesome Indictment Details Killing, Dismemberment Of NJ Victim Gruesome Indictment Details Killing, Dismemberment Of NJ Victim
Gruesome Indictment Details Killing, Dismemberment Of NJ Victim Four people from Ocean County were indicted for dismembering the body of a Toms River man killed in his home, authorities said. A grand jury indicted 29-year-old Elizabeth Mascarelli of Seaside Heights on Thursday, Oct. 24 for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, hindering apprehension, desecration of human remains, and eight weapons charges, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. Danielle Bolstad, 42, of Barnegat; Jared Krysiak, 34, of Brick Township; and Jarred Palumbo, 36, of Manchester, were also indicted for hindering apprehension and…
BREAKING: DA Recommends Menendez Brothers With NJ Ties Be Resentenced BREAKING: DA Recommends Menendez Brothers With NJ Ties Be Resentenced
Breaking: DA Recommends Menendez Brothers With NJ Ties Be Resentenced Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has recommended brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who spent their childhoods in New Jersey and New York, be resentenced after spending decades in prison for the shotgun murder of their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion. The brothers, now in their 50s, should be freed and placed on parole for the murders of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez in August 1989, Gascón said at a news conference Thursday, Oct. 24, that comes amid worldwide viewership of a series on their story on Netflix. The case now moves forward to a Los A…
GUILTY! Bruce Cymanski Convicted In Nancy Noga's Cold Case Killing GUILTY! Bruce Cymanski Convicted In Nancy Noga's Cold Case Killing
Guilty! Bruce Cymanski Convicted In Nancy Noga's Cold Case Killing A 52-year-old New Jersey man accused of killing a 17-year-old girl 25 years ago has been found guilty, authorities announced. A Middlesex County Jury has found Bruce A. Cymanski guilty in the 1999 murder of Sayreville's Nancy Noga, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Sayreville Police Chief Daniel Plumacker said. Nancy was a senior in high school when she was reported missing on Jan. 7, 1999. Five days later, her body was found in a wooded area behind a strip mall on Ernston Road. An autopsy later determined Noga died from blunt force trauma after being struck with a b…
Man Convicted Of Killing Girlfriend Stabbed 29 Times In Bergen County Man Convicted Of Killing Girlfriend Stabbed 29 Times In Bergen County
Man Convicted Of Killing Girlfriend Stabbed 29 Times In Bergen County A 59-year-old Bergen County man has been convicted in the killing of his 51-year-old girlfriend in 2021, authorities announced. Patrick J. Camilli, 59, of Washington Township, was found guilty after a four-week trial beginning last September in the death of Mary Huber, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Camilli was found lying on top of Mary E. Huber on the floor of a Lexington Township Court home on Oct. 24, 2021, just after midnight, Musella said. A knife was found near Camilli at the scene. Huber had suffered multiple stab wounds and bruises and was taken to The Valley Hosp…
Accused Phillipsburg Killer Smiles Wide In His Mugshot Accused Phillipsburg Killer Smiles Wide In His Mugshot
Accused Phillipsburg Killer Smiles Wide In His Mugshot A 21-year-old accused killer from Newark and Phillipsburg flashed a huge grin as authorities snapped his photo during processing. Zyion Williams-Jones is accused of shooting Darryl Craft at midnight on Monday, Sept. 2 at Bergen Street and Chadwick Avenue, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II and Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Frage said.  Craft was rushed to University Hospital, where he was soon pronounced dead, authorities said. An investigation determined Williams-Jones was the person responsible and he was charged with murder and multiple weapons offenses, au…
NY Man Kills Hotel Employee, Wounds Coworker In NJ: Prosecutor NY Man Kills Hotel Employee, Wounds Coworker In NJ: Prosecutor
NY Man Kills Hotel Employee, Wounds Coworker In NJ: Prosecutor A New York man has been arrested and charged in a double shooting at New Jersey at a Fairfield hotel last week, authorities announced. Tyrone Malcolm, 39, of Middletown, NY, has been charged with murder in connection to the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Mohammed Sahariar, which also left his co-worker with critical injuries, according to Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II and Fairfield Police Chief Anthony Manna.  Investigators say that shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, Sahariar and the second victim, who has not been identified, were working at …
New Details Released In Grisly Kitchen Floor Murder Of NJ Wife Seeking Divorce New Details Released In Grisly Kitchen Floor Murder Of NJ Wife Seeking Divorce
New Details Released In Grisly Kitchen Floor Murder Of NJ Wife Seeking Divorce New details are coming to light in the murder of a 40-year-old New Jersey mother in front of her kids, one of whom tried to save her, police papers show. On Friday, Oct. 4, a Middlesex County Superior Court Judge ordered Wellington Leonardo, 45, jailed pending his trial in the stabbing death of his wife, Rosanna Rodriguez, on the kitchen floor of their Perth Amboy home, in front of their children, according to News12 and MyCenralJersey, and police papers obtained by Daily Voice. Appearing over video link, Leonardo sobbed as the recording of the 911 call was played, News12 says. In the recor…
Philly Man, Two Brothers Indicted In Woman's Killing In Atlantic City: Prosecutors Philly Man, Two Brothers Indicted In Woman's Killing In Atlantic City: Prosecutors
Philly Man, Two Brothers Indicted In Woman's Killing In Atlantic City: Prosecutors Three Philadelphia men were indicted after two women were shot in the head in Atlantic City, including one who died, authorities said. A grand jury indicted 34-year-old Gregg Page for murder, attempted murder, and several weapons charges on Wednesday, Oct. 2, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. Two brothers, 30-year-old Ryan Schenck and 27-year-old Ramir Schenck, were also indicted for hindering apprehension. Atlantic City police responded to a report of two women severely injured on North Main Avenue at around 4:41 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1. Officers found the vi…
NJ Mom Believed Killed By Husband Survived By 4 Daughters, Campaign Says NJ Mom Believed Killed By Husband Survived By 4 Daughters, Campaign Says
NJ Mom Believed Killed By Husband Survived By 4 Daughters, Campaign Says Support is on the rise for four girls mourning the loss of their 40-year-old mother, who authorities said was stabbed dead by her husband this weekend in New Jersey. A GoFundMe campaign launched for Rosana Rodriguez's daughters had raised more than $10,000 as of Sunday, Sept. 22, more than 24 hours after she was found lying on the kitchen floor of a Perth Amboy home with stab wounds next to her husband, Wellington Leonard, as previously reported by Daily Voice. Officers were called to the Bertrand Avenue home around 3 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ci…
Wife Stabbed Dead By Husband, Both Found Lying On Kitchen Floor In NJ: Prosecutor Wife Stabbed Dead By Husband, Both Found Lying On Kitchen Floor In NJ: Prosecutor
Wife Stabbed Dead By Husband, Both Found Lying On Kitchen Floor In NJ: Prosecutor A Perth Amboy man has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of his wife overnight, authorities said. ALSO SEE: Perth Amboy Mom Believed Killed By Husband Survived By 4 Daughters, Campaign Says Officers responding to a 911 call on reports of a stabbing in a Bertrand Avenue residence found Rosana Rodriguez lying on the kitchen floor next to her husband, Wellington Leonardo, just before 3 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Perth Amboy Police Chief Lawrence Cattano said. Rodriguez appeared to have been stabbed, the prosecutor and chief s…
Fugitive Sought In Jersey City Mom's Murder Arrested In Colombia: Prosecutor Fugitive Sought In Jersey City Mom's Murder Arrested In Colombia: Prosecutor
Fugitive Sought In Jersey City Mom's Murder Arrested In Colombia: Prosecutor A 28-year-old Jersey City man was extradited from Colombia to the United States on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and charged with murdering a woman in Kearny in 2023, authorities said. Leiner Miranda Lopez had previously been charged with killing Luz Hernandez, a 33-year-old Jersey City mom in February 2023, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. Hernandez's body was discovered in a shallow grave in the area of Central Avenue and Third Street in Kearny, Suarez said. The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office determined her death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head and compressions to the …
Killer Who Made Pit Stop At Cape May Wawa Gets Life In PA Coworker's Murder Killer Who Made Pit Stop At Cape May Wawa Gets Life In PA Coworker's Murder
Killer Who Made Pit Stop At Cape May Wawa Gets Life In PA Coworker's Murder A man described by authorities as a "violent predator" was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Monday, Sept. 9 for kidnapping, robbing, and killing a Pennsylvania co-worker, authorities announced. Michael Allen Stark, 50, of Royersford, PA was found guilty by a Bucks County jury of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping, theft by unlawful taking, flight to avoid apprehension, and abuse of a corpse, according to District Attorney Jennifer Schorn and court records. Stark's victim was 50-year-old Matthew James Branning of Sellersville, who went missing after l…
Teen Wanted In Fatal NJ Transit Station Shooting Caught In Poconos: US Marshals Teen Wanted In Fatal NJ Transit Station Shooting Caught In Poconos: US Marshals
Teen Wanted In Fatal NJ Transit Station Shooting Caught In Poconos: US Marshals A New Jersey fugitive wanted in a deadly train station shooting and a home invasion was arrested in northeastern Pennsylvania, authorities said. U.S. Marshals took 19-year-old Damian Bass into custody, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Friday, Sept. 6. Bass' last known address was in Fanwood. Bass was charged with first-degree murder and two weapons offenses. He was accused of shooting and killing 43-year-old James Hailey of Newark. Marshals from Brooklyn, NY, and Scranton captured Bass in Chestnuthill Township, PA, on Thursday, Sept. 5. "We s…
Unlicensed Motorcyclist Charged With Murder In Crash That Killed UDel Freshman From NJ Unlicensed Motorcyclist Charged With Murder In Crash That Killed UDel Freshman From NJ
Unlicensed Motorcyclist Charged With Murder In Crash That Killed UDel Freshman From NJ A 27-year-old Newark, DE man has been charged with murder in the crash that killed an 18-year-old University of Delaware freshman from New Jersey. Brian Briddle was identified as the operator of the motorcycle that an officer had tried stopping before he sped off at East Main Street west of South Chapel Street just before midnight on Wednesday, Aug. 27, city police said. Briddle struck Noelia Gomez, who was in a crosswalk on West Main Street west of North College Avenue, police said. Gomez, of Clark, was a first-year student at the university, UDel said in a statement. The motorcyclist was…
NJ Mom Killed By Ex-BF In Murder-Suicide Days After 21st Birthday, Family Says NJ Mom Killed By Ex-BF In Murder-Suicide Days After 21st Birthday, Family Says
NJ Mom Killed By Ex-BF In Murder-Suicide Days After 21st Birthday, Family Says A young Vineland mother was killed by her ex-boyfriend in a murder-suicide, according to her family. A GoFundMe page said Mary Rodriguez died just days after celebrating her 21st birthday. She was the mother of a two-year-old boy. The GoFundMe had raised more than $12,500 from at least 199 donations as of Wednesday, Aug. 28. "Mary was filled with hopes and dreams, embarking on a transformative journey to build a secure future for herself and her little one," wrote Marianette Mercado, Rodriguez's stepmother and the fundraiser's organizer. "Her vibrant spirit touched the lives of m…