The Price of Survival: When a Sugar Daddy's Money Turned to Murder


In September 2025, Reading, Pennsylvania became the scene of one of the most horrific family annihilation in recent memory. Three bodies.Three locations. One devil's work.
Geraldina Peguero Mancebo was a 31-year-old Dominican immigrant trying to keep her family afloat in one of America's poorest cities.Working a warehouse job while supporting four children, she made a choice that millions of desperate women make every day—she accepted financial help from an older man who wanted something in return.
Jose Luis Rodriguez was 61 years old. Thirty years her senior. He rented her an apartment. He gave her money. And he believed that money bought him ownership of her life.
When Geraldina refused to leave her husband, Rodriguez's"generosity" revealed itself as something far more sinister. Within 48 hours, he would execute her husband Junior with a shot to the back of the head, murder Geraldina the same way while she held their baby, and throw one-year-old Jeyden face down into a muddy pond—alive—leaving him to drown.
The autopsy would later confirm mud in the baby's lungs. Hewas conscious. He struggled. He drowned.
This is the story of what happens when male entitlement meets financial desperation. When a woman's "no" becomes a death sentence. When poverty forces impossible choices that end in tragedy.
This is a story about the hidden dangers of sugar daddy culture, the systems that fail women of color, and three orphaned children left behind to make sense of the senseless.
Content Warning: This episode contains detailed descriptions of violence against women and children, murder, and drowning.Listener discretion is strongly advised.
Resources:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
- National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
- Financial Abuse Resources: www.nnedv.org/content/about-financial-abuse
No Tears For Black Girls tells these stories because silence protects predators. We tell them because Black and brown women's lives matter. We tell them because there should be tears—and action—for every woman whose survival choices lead to tragedy.
CREDITS:
Created, Written, & Produced by John Reedburg
Hosted & Narrated by Samantha Paul
Production Company: John Reedburg Media
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
https://www.youtube.com/@NoTearsForBlacksGirls
facebook.com/notearsforblackgirls
instagram.com/notearsforblackgirls
tiktok.com/@notearsforblackgirls
00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:04,200
The following story contains
descriptions of violence against
2
00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:06,760
women and children, murder and
drowning.
3
00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:11,480
Listener discretion is advised.
This is no tears for black
4
00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:14,280
girls.
I'm your host, Samantha Paul.
5
00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,360
No tears for black girls when
they disappear.
6
00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:26,040
No tears for black girls like
they were never here.
7
00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:34,040
But we're in birth.
The price of survival when a
8
00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,040
sugar daddy's money turned to
murder.
9
00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:41,200
Prologue 3 bodies, three
locations, one devil's work.
10
00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:47,680
The morning of September 13th,
2025 donned Gray and cold over
11
00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,240
Reading, PA, a city that had
seen better days.
12
00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,800
Once a thriving railroad hub,
Redding now carried the weight
13
00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,440
of economic decline in its
bones.
14
00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,640
Abandoned factories stood like
tombstones along the Schwilkill
15
00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,720
River.
Neighborhoods that once hummed
16
00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:10,760
with working class prosperity
now struggled with poverty rates
17
00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:12,960
that ranked among the highest in
the nation.
18
00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,120
It was in this landscape of
desperation that three lives
19
00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,720
would be stolen, three bodies
would be discovered in three
20
00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:25,480
separate locations, and one
family's American dream would
21
00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:30,760
become an American nightmare.
At 6:30 that Friday morning,
22
00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,160
Redding police officers
responding to a call at Bear
23
00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:38,200
Park along River Rd. made a
discovery that would launch one
24
00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,600
of the most horrific murder
investigations Berks County
25
00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,520
District Attorney John Adams had
ever seen.
26
00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:47,280
A body.
Male.
27
00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:51,240
Hispanic shot execution style in
the back of the head.
28
00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,280
The victim was 33 year old
Junior Cabrera Colon, a
29
00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,280
Dominican immigrant trying to
build a life in America.
30
00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,600
But Junior's murder was just the
beginning, because somewhere in
31
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,600
Reading, his wife and baby son
were already dead, their bodies
32
00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:11,560
hidden, waiting to be found.
This was the devil's work, A
33
00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,480
family member would later say.
This is not normal.
34
00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,920
District Attorney Adams, a
seasoned prosecutor who had seen
35
00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:22,880
countless horrors, would stand
before cameras days later with
36
00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,240
tears threatening to spill from
his eyes.
37
00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,400
Just makes me want to cry, he
would say.
38
00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,720
I don't think that any of us can
imagine the tragedy that took
39
00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,560
place here and how horrific this
crime was.
40
00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,880
This is the story of how
financial desperation, male
41
00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:43,360
entitlement, jealousy, and
possessiveness created a perfect
42
00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,000
storm that destroyed an entire
family.
43
00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,240
This is the story of what
happens when a woman becomes
44
00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,840
property in a man's mind, when
her refusal becomes his
45
00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,960
justification for murder.
This is the story of Geraldina
46
00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:01,120
Peguero Mansebo, who made a deal
with the devil to survive and
47
00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,880
paid for it with her life, her
husband's life, and the life of
48
00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,920
her baby boy.
Part 1.
49
00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:14,760
The victim's dreams deferred.
Geraldina, the woman who tried
50
00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,280
to have it all.
Geraldina Peguero Manchebo was
51
00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:22,480
31 years old, though some
reports listed her as 32.
52
00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,120
In the Dominican community of
Reading, she was known as a
53
00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,960
woman who worked hard, loved
fiercely, and carried the weight
54
00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,560
of 2 worlds on her shoulders.
She had the kind of beauty that
55
00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:38,000
turned heads, dark eyes that
held both warmth and weariness,
56
00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,800
a smile that could light up a
room when she chose to share it.
57
00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,600
But beneath that exterior was a
woman navigating an impossible
58
00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,320
situation, trying to keep her
family afloat in a country that
59
00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,000
promised opportunity but
delivered struggle.
60
00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:59,880
Geraldina and Junior had three
other children, ages 813 and
61
00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:03,440
somewhere in between, who lived
back in the Dominican Republic,
62
00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,440
attending school, being raised
by family.
63
00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,720
It's a story as old as
immigration itself, parents
64
00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:14,600
sacrificing proximity to their
children working in America to
65
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:18,160
send money home, hoping to build
something better for the next
66
00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,839
generation.
But building something better
67
00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,880
required money, and money was
always the problem.
68
00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,240
Reading PA wasn't supposed to be
this hard.
69
00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:32,560
The city of 95,000 sat about 60
miles northwest of Philadelphia,
70
00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,800
close enough to feel the pull of
urban opportunity, far enough to
71
00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:38,920
maintain its own struggling
identity.
72
00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,960
For Dominican immigrants like
Geraldina and Junior, Redding
73
00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,160
represented a foothold in
America, a place where you could
74
00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,840
find work, even if that work
barely paid enough to survive.
75
00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:52,920
Geraldina had worked at a
warehouse.
76
00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:58,120
It was there she met Jose Luis
Rodriguez Junior.
77
00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:03,840
The husband who never knew
Junior Cabrera Colon was 33
78
00:05:03,840 --> 00:05:07,840
years old when he died.
He was Geraldina's husband, the
79
00:05:07,840 --> 00:05:11,000
father of her children, the man
she came home to at night.
80
00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,360
He was trying to make it in
America the honest way, working,
81
00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:19,680
providing, building.
Friends and family described him
82
00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:24,240
as a good man, a family man,
someone who loved his wife and
83
00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,720
children, who worked hard, who
didn't deserve what happened to
84
00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:29,800
him.
But Junior didn't know
85
00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:31,560
everything about his wife's
life.
86
00:05:32,280 --> 00:05:33,880
He didn't know about the
apartment.
87
00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,040
He didn't know about the money.
He didn't know that his wife had
88
00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,560
made a bargain to keep their
family afloat, A bargain that
89
00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:47,920
would cost him everything.
On September 11th, 2025, Junior
90
00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,720
met someone he thought was a
friend, someone Geraldina knew,
91
00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:54,000
someone who had been helping
them.
92
00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,680
That someone put a gun to the
back of Junior's head and pulled
93
00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:02,280
the trigger.
Jayden, the baby who drowned in
94
00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:06,040
mud.
Jayden Junior Peguero was one
95
00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,280
year old, just a baby.
He had his whole life ahead of
96
00:06:09,280 --> 00:06:11,360
him.
First words, first steps, first
97
00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,760
days of school, all the
milestones that make a life.
98
00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:18,520
He had his mother's eyes, his
father's smile.
99
00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,120
He was the youngest of four
children, the baby of the
100
00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:25,880
family, the one who would grow
up American while his siblings
101
00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:31,920
grew up Dominican.
On September 12th, 2025, Jayden
102
00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,320
was in his mother's arms when
she was shot in the back of the
103
00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,120
head.
The bullet that killed Geraldina
104
00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:41,200
didn't touch him.
He survived that moment, but he
105
00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,680
wouldn't survive what came next.
The autopsy would reveal mud in
106
00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:50,280
his lungs, mud from the shallow
pond where he was thrown face
107
00:06:50,280 --> 00:06:55,880
down while still alive.
Mud that filled his tiny Airways
108
00:06:55,880 --> 00:07:00,360
as he struggled, as he drowned,
as his one year old brain tried
109
00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,240
to understand why the world had
suddenly become water and
110
00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:07,760
darkness and suffocation.
District Attorney John Adams,
111
00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,800
who had prosecuted countless
murders, would later say that
112
00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,840
this detail, the mud in the
baby's lungs, was what made him
113
00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:18,040
want to cry.
Because it meant Jayden was
114
00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,680
alive when he hit the water.
It meant he felt everything.
115
00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:25,800
It meant his last moments were
terror and confusion and the
116
00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,320
desperate, instinctive fight for
air that every drowning victim
117
00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:33,400
experiences.
Jayden Junior Peguero drowned in
118
00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:37,600
a shallow pond in Ontolani
Township while his killer walked
119
00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,680
away.
He was one year old.
120
00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,960
Part 2, the Predator.
When money becomes control.
121
00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,400
Jose Luis Rodriguez, the sugar
daddy.
122
00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:56,280
Jose Luis Rodriguez was 61 years
old, 30 years older than
123
00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,120
Geraldina, old enough to be her
father.
124
00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:02,280
He had worked at the same
warehouse where Geraldina
125
00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,480
worked.
That's where they met.
126
00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:06,680
That's where the arrangement
began.
127
00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:10,280
The details of their
relationship remain murky.
128
00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:14,680
Investigators described it as
personal, the nature unclear.
129
00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,200
But the evidence paints a
picture that's all too familiar.
130
00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:22,440
An older man with money, a
younger woman in desperate need,
131
00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:26,680
and a transaction that
masqueraded as generosity but
132
00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,520
was really about power,
Rodriguez rented an apartment
133
00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,039
for Geraldina.
He gave her money.
134
00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:37,559
He financially supported her.
As police reports would later
135
00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,640
state, in the language of the
streets, in the vernacular of
136
00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:45,240
transactional relationships,
Jose Luis Rodriguez was
137
00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:49,000
Geraldina's sugar daddy.
But what did Geraldina give in
138
00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,160
return?
The investigation doesn't
139
00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:54,640
explicitly say, but the
implications hang heavy in the
140
00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:57,760
air.
Rodriguez believed he owned her.
141
00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,680
He believed his money bought him
rights to her life, her choices,
142
00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,360
her future.
And when Geraldina refused to
143
00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,640
leave her husband, when she made
it clear that Rodriguez's money
144
00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,280
didn't buy him ownership of her
heart, he decided that if he
145
00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:16,360
couldn't have her, no one would.
The psychology of possession.
146
00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,800
This is where we need to talk
about what happens when men view
147
00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,080
women as property, when
financial support becomes a
148
00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:26,360
chain, when generosity is really
just control.
149
00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:30,520
Wearing a prettier mask.
Rodriguez wasn't helping
150
00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:34,160
Geraldina out of kindness.
He was investing in what he
151
00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:35,960
believed was his future with
her.
152
00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:40,800
Every dollar he spent, every
bill he paid, every month of
153
00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,760
rent on that apartment.
These weren't gifts, they were
154
00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,560
down payments on a woman he
believed he was purchasing.
155
00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,520
This is the dark underbelly of
sugar daddy culture that nobody
156
00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:55,160
wants to talk about.
We see the Instagram posts, the
157
00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,600
designer bags, the luxury
vacations.
158
00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,360
We see young women living lives
they couldn't otherwise afford.
159
00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,080
And we judge them.
We call them gold diggers,
160
00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:08,440
opportunists, women who are
asking for it.
161
00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,880
But we don't talk about the men.
We don't talk about the power
162
00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,360
imbalance.
We don't talk about what happens
163
00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,160
when a woman in desperate
circumstances makes a deal with
164
00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:22,240
a man who has resources and then
tries to set boundaries, tries
165
00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:26,640
to say this far and no further,
tries to maintain her humanity,
166
00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,440
her marriage, her real life
outside of the transaction.
167
00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,440
We don't talk about what happens
when she says no.
168
00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:38,000
Jose Luis Rodriguez heard no and
decided it was time for murder.
169
00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:41,520
Part 3.
The murders.
170
00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:47,240
A calculated massacre September
11th, 2025.
171
00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:51,920
The husband The first to die was
Junior Cabrera Colon.
172
00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,360
Rodriguez's confession would
later reveal the cold
173
00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:59,520
calculation behind this murder.
He met with Junior in Reading.
174
00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,160
Maybe Junior thought they were
friends.
175
00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:06,440
Maybe he knew Rodriguez was
helping his wife financially and
176
00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,920
wanted to thank him.
Maybe he had no idea what was
177
00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,720
coming.
Rodriguez shot him in the back
178
00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:17,200
of the head, execution style,
the kind of kill that speaks to
179
00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:22,000
premeditation, to planning, to a
man who had decided that Junior
180
00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,680
Cabrera Cologne was an obstacle
that needed to be removed.
181
00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:28,920
Rodriguez would later claim
self-defense.
182
00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,520
The junior had pulled a gun on
him, that he wrestled it away,
183
00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:34,880
that he fired in fear for his
life.
184
00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:38,280
But the physical evidence told a
different story.
185
00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:41,360
A shot to the back of the head
isn't self-defense.
186
00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:45,520
It's assassination.
Rodriguez dumped Junior's body
187
00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:49,400
along River Rd. in Bear Park,
leaving him like trash among the
188
00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:53,280
trees and overgrown grass of
Redding's forgotten spaces.
189
00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:59,520
Junior Cabrera Colon, 33 years
old, father of four, husband,
190
00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:04,080
immigrant, Dreamer, reduced to a
body in a park waiting to be
191
00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:08,120
found.
September 12th, 2025.
192
00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,960
The mother The next day,
Rodriguez picked up Geraldina
193
00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:16,000
and baby Jayden.
Surveillance footage would later
194
00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,640
capture this moment.
Geraldina getting into
195
00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:23,760
Rodriguez's vehicle on N 5th St.
her baby in her arms, no idea
196
00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:25,760
that she was climbing into her
own coffin.
197
00:12:26,560 --> 00:12:28,520
Maybe she thought it was a
normal visit.
198
00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,960
Maybe Rodriguez had called her,
told her he needed to see her,
199
00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,080
told her to bring the baby.
Maybe she went willingly, still
200
00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:40,200
believing that this arrangement
could be managed, that she could
201
00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:43,360
take his money and keep her
marriage and somehow navigate
202
00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:45,640
the impossible tightrope she'd
been walking.
203
00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:49,280
Or maybe she knew.
Maybe she felt it in her gut,
204
00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,720
that primal warning system that
women learn to trust.
205
00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,080
Maybe she hesitated before
getting in that car.
206
00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,080
Maybe she held Jayden a little
tighter.
207
00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:04,320
Rodriguez drove them to Antolani
Township, a rural area several
208
00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:08,240
miles outside Reading.
Quiet, isolated.
209
00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,080
The kind of place where screams
don't carry.
210
00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:15,200
According to Rodriguez's
confession, he confronted
211
00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:17,920
Geraldina.
He demanded that she leave her
212
00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:20,320
husband.
He told her that after
213
00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:24,240
everything he'd done for her,
the apartment, the money, the
214
00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:28,280
support she owed him, she
belonged to him.
215
00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:33,080
Geraldina refused.
She was holding her baby when
216
00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:34,960
Rodriguez shot her in the back
of the head.
217
00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:40,200
The same execution style kill,
the same cold calculation.
218
00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:46,360
Geraldina Peguero Manchebo, 31
years old, mother of four, died
219
00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,360
instantly.
Her last conscious thought
220
00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,840
probably of the baby in her
arms, the baby who was about to
221
00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:57,280
be orphaned, the baby who was
still alive, the baby.
222
00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:02,400
The most horrific detail.
This is where the story becomes
223
00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,040
almost unbearable.
This is where District Attorney
224
00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:09,400
John Adams's voice would crack
during the press conference.
225
00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,080
This is where even hardened
investigators had to step away
226
00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:16,240
and collect themselves.
After shooting, Geraldina
227
00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:18,280
Rodriguez was left with a
problem.
228
00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:23,720
A1 year old baby alive, probably
crying, definitely a witness.
229
00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:27,320
Even if he was too young to
testify, Rodriguez could have
230
00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:31,160
done many things at that moment.
He could have left the baby with
231
00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:34,600
his dead mother and driven away.
He could have dropped him at a
232
00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:37,320
hospital, a fire station,
anywhere.
233
00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:40,560
He could have shown even a shred
of humanity.
234
00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:46,360
Instead, Jose Luis Rodriguez
picked up Jayden Junior Peguero,
235
00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:50,760
carried him to a nearby shallow
pond and threw him face down
236
00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,920
into the muddy water.
Then he walked away.
237
00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,160
The autopsy would later confirm
what investigators suspected.
238
00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:01,120
Jayden was alive when he hit the
water.
239
00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,200
The mud in his lungs proved it.
He inhaled.
240
00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:07,200
He struggled.
He drowned.
241
00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:12,640
A1 year old baby thrown into a
pond like garbage, left to drown
242
00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:16,360
in mud and shallow water while
his mother's body lay nearby and
243
00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:19,240
his father's body cooled in a
park miles away.
244
00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,240
The defendant confirmed that
Jayden was alive when he threw
245
00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:27,000
him face down into the muddy
water, District Attorney Adams
246
00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,240
would later tell the press, his
voice heavy with the weight of
247
00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:32,960
that sentence.
Part 4.
248
00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:37,920
The investigation unraveling,
the horror, the discovery.
249
00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:45,480
September 13th, 2025, 6:30 AM
Junior Cabrera Colon's body is
250
00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:47,600
discovered in Bear Park,
Reading.
251
00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,080
Police launch a homicide
investigation, but something
252
00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,280
doesn't add up.
Junior lived with a woman,
253
00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:59,000
Geraldina Peguero Monsebo, and
they had a one year old baby.
254
00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:03,560
Jayden, where are they?
Pennsylvania State Police
255
00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:05,640
launched a missing persons
investigation.
256
00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,680
Geraldina and Jayden are nowhere
to be found.
257
00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:11,640
Their apartment is empty.
No one has seen them since
258
00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,040
September 12th.
The investigation moves quickly.
259
00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,720
Detectives canvas the
neighborhood, pull surveillance
260
00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:20,880
footage, and interview
witnesses.
261
00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:25,440
They discover that Junior knew a
man named Jose Luis Rodriguez,
262
00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:29,000
That Rodriguez had some kind of
relationship with Geraldina,
263
00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:31,760
that Rodriguez had been seen
with the family.
264
00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:37,120
On September 18th, 5 days after
Junior's body was found,
265
00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:41,200
investigators brought Rodriguez
in for questioning the
266
00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,720
confession.
Jose Luis Rodriguez confessed
267
00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:49,280
not to everything at first, just
to killing Junior Cabrera Colon.
268
00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:52,920
He spun a story about
self-defense, about Junior
269
00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:55,680
pulling a gun, about fear for
his life.
270
00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,240
But the physical evidence didn't
support his claims.
271
00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:02,480
Meanwhile, the search for
Geraldina and Jayden
272
00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,920
intensified.
If Rodriguez killed Junior,
273
00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:12,480
where were the mother and baby?
September 19th, 2025, 8:15 PM.
274
00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:17,000
Geraldina's body is found in a
grassy area along E Huller Lane
275
00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:20,560
in Antolani Township, several
miles outside Reading.
276
00:17:20,839 --> 00:17:27,119
She's been dead for a week.
September 20th, 2025 Jayden's
277
00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:31,560
body is discovered nearby, about
150 yards from his mother.
278
00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:36,320
The tiny body in the shallow
pond, the mud in his lungs,
279
00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,400
telling the story of his final
moments.
280
00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:43,040
Confronted with the discovery of
the bodies, Rodriguez confessed
281
00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:46,480
to everything.
He admitted he was infuriated
282
00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:48,880
because Geraldina was taking his
money.
283
00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:52,440
He admitted he shot her in the
back of the head while she was
284
00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,600
holding Jayden.
He admitted he threw the baby
285
00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,360
into the pond while the child
was still alive.
286
00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,560
The defendant indicated to
detectives that he was
287
00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:05,200
infuriated because he said that
Geraldina was taking his money,
288
00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,680
and he admitted that he shot
Geraldina in the back of the
289
00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:11,200
head.
District Attorney Adams revealed
290
00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:16,200
taking his money as if she had
stolen from him, as if the
291
00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,200
financial support he provided
wasn't a choice he made, but a
292
00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,840
debt she owed.
As if her life, her body, her
293
00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:25,080
choices were commodities he had
purchased.
294
00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:27,400
This is the language of
ownership.
295
00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:31,040
This is what happens when men
believe women are property.
296
00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:38,400
Part 5 The Aftermath 3 Orphans
and a community in mourning the
297
00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:43,040
family left behind Geraldina and
Junior's three other children,
298
00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,920
ages 8 to 13, were in the
Dominican Republic when their
299
00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:50,480
parents were murdered.
They were in school, being
300
00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:53,600
raised by extended family,
waiting for the money their
301
00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:57,160
parents sent from America.
Now they're orphans.
302
00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,080
They took the person that was
the brightest person of our
303
00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:05,640
family, said Heinel Medrano
Manseebo, Geraldina's cousin.
304
00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:10,800
My family is devastated.
My auntie cannot even eat right
305
00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:14,120
now.
My grandmother, she cannot even
306
00:19:14,120 --> 00:19:17,960
eat either.
The family launched A GoFundMe
307
00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:21,320
campaign to raise money to
repatriate the bodies to the
308
00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:25,120
Dominican Republic.
Because even in death, poverty
309
00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:27,960
follows.
Even in grief, there are bills
310
00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,240
to pay.
The cost of bringing your
311
00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,720
murdered loved ones home becomes
another burden on a family
312
00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,760
already destroyed.
Three children will grow up
313
00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:39,440
without parents.
They'll grow up knowing their
314
00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:42,680
mother was murdered by a man who
believed he owned her.
315
00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,400
They'll grow up knowing their
father was killed because he
316
00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,200
stood in the way of that
ownership.
317
00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,520
They'll grow up knowing their
baby brother drowned in mud
318
00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:55,080
because a 61 year old man
couldn't handle rejection.
319
00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:59,880
The community response readings
Dominican community rallied
320
00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:03,160
around the family.
Memorials appeared at Bear Park
321
00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:07,720
where Junior's body was found.
Candles, flowers, photos of the
322
00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:09,880
family smiling and happier
times.
323
00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:14,640
This was the devil's work.
This is not normal, 1 relative
324
00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:18,120
told reporters.
But here's the uncomfortable
325
00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:20,360
truth.
It is normal.
326
00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:23,320
Maybe not.
The specific horror of a baby
327
00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,000
drowned in Redding's Dominican
community rallied around the
328
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,160
family.
Memorials appeared at Bear Park,
329
00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:33,680
where Junior's body was found.
Candles, flowers, photos of the
330
00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:38,400
family smiling in happier times.
This was the devil's work.
331
00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:42,120
This is not normal, one relative
told reporters.
332
00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:44,560
But here's the uncomfortable
truth.
333
00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,760
It is normal.
Maybe not the specific horror of
334
00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:52,680
a baby drowning in mud, but the
underlying dynamics.
335
00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:57,960
Those are devastatingly common.
Women murdered by men who
336
00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:01,280
believe they own them.
Women killed for saying no.
337
00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:04,960
Women destroyed because they
dared to set boundaries with men
338
00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:08,920
who had power over them.
Financial power, Physical power,
339
00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:13,200
Social power.
In Reading, PA, a city where
340
00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:17,000
nearly 30% of residents live
below the poverty line, where
341
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:21,480
the median household income
hovers around $38,000, where
342
00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,920
immigrant families struggle to
survive, Geraldina's story
343
00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,400
resonates in ways that make
people uncomfortable.
344
00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:30,960
Because how many other women in
Redding are making similar
345
00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,480
bargains right now?
How many are accepting money
346
00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:38,080
from men they don't love, trying
to keep their families afloat,
347
00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:42,840
walking that same impossible
tightrope between survival and
348
00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,040
danger?
The Dominican community knows.
349
00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,280
The immigrant community knows.
The women know.
350
00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:51,680
They know that Geraldina wasn't
stupid.
351
00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:55,040
She wasn't greedy.
She wasn't asking for it.
352
00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,560
She was desperate.
And Jose Luis Rodriguez
353
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,640
exploited that desperation, then
punished her for it.
354
00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,800
Part 6.
The legal proceedings.
355
00:22:06,120 --> 00:22:11,040
Justice delayed the charges.
Jose Luis Rodriguez was arrested
356
00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,680
and charged with three counts of
first degree murder.
357
00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:20,720
Junior Cabrera, Colon, Geraldina
Peguero Manchabo Jayden Junior
358
00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:26,880
Peguero kidnapping, Geraldina
and Jayden abuse of corpse all
359
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:32,040
three victims criminal homicide,
firearms violations, tampering
360
00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:36,000
with evidence.
He was denied bail and remanded
361
00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:40,600
to Berks County Prison, where he
remains as of December 2025.
362
00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,680
District Attorney John Adams
made it clear that his office
363
00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:46,880
would be seeking the maximum
penalties.
364
00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:50,760
This is one of the most horrific
cases I've seen in my career,
365
00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:54,560
Adams told reporters at a press
conference, his voice thick with
366
00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:58,000
emotion.
The premeditation, the execution
367
00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,800
style killings, and especially
what was done to that baby just
368
00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:05,920
makes me want to cry.
Adams revealed that Rodriguez
369
00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:09,520
had confessed to all three
murders, admitting that he was
370
00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:14,560
infuriated because Geraldina was
taking his money and refused to
371
00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:18,600
leave her husband for him.
The defense's impossible task.
372
00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,160
Rodriguez's defense attorney
faces an uphill battle.
373
00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:25,680
The confession is damning.
The physical evidence is
374
00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:28,720
overwhelming.
The autopsy results on Baby
375
00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:32,400
Jayden, the mud in his lungs
proving he was alive when thrown
376
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:36,320
into the water, eliminate any
possibility of arguing the
377
00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:38,800
baby's death was accidental or
merciful.
378
00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,200
Rodriguez initially tried to
claim self-defense in Junior's
379
00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:46,800
killing, saying Junior had
pulled a gun on him, but the
380
00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,200
execution style shot to the back
of the head contradicts that
381
00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:52,720
narrative.
You don't shoot someone in the
382
00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:54,640
back of the head while defending
yourself.
383
00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:59,720
As of late 2025, Rodriguez
remains in Berks County Prison
384
00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:03,400
awaiting trial.
The legal process moves slowly,
385
00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:05,640
but the outcome seems
inevitable.
386
00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:08,920
Pennsylvania is not a death
penalty state.
387
00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:12,840
In practice, the state has had a
moratorium on execution since
388
00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:18,000
2015, but Rodriguez faces three
consecutive life sentences
389
00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:20,200
without the possibility of
parole.
390
00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:25,360
The preliminary hearing At
Rodriguez's preliminary hearing
391
00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:30,760
in October 2025, Magisterial
District Judge Andrea Book heard
392
00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,840
testimony from investigators
detailing the timeline of the
393
00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:37,320
murders, the discovery of the
bodies, and Rodriguez's
394
00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:40,160
confession.
The courtroom was packed with
395
00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:43,640
family members, community
supporters and media.
396
00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:48,200
When prosecutors described how
Jayden was thrown into the pond
397
00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:52,560
while still alive, audible gasps
and sobs filled the room.
398
00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,480
Judge Book ordered Rodriguez
held without bail on all
399
00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:00,720
charges, calling the crimes
among the most heinous she had
400
00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:02,600
encountered in her years on the
bench.
401
00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,720
Rodriguez showed little emotion
during the hearing, sitting
402
00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:09,920
quietly in his orange prison
jumpsuit, occasionally
403
00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,360
conferring with his attorney.
Family members of the victims
404
00:25:13,360 --> 00:25:16,440
stared at him with a mixture of
rage and disbelief.
405
00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:20,400
How could he?
Geraldina's cousin whispered to
406
00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:24,200
reporters outside the courtroom.
How could anyone do that to a
407
00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:30,880
baby?
Part 7 The setting Reading, PA
408
00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:32,680
and the geography of
desperation.
409
00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:37,120
A city in decline To understand
this story, you have to
410
00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:42,040
understand Reading, PA.
Once a thriving industrial city,
411
00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:45,560
Reading has spent the last 50
years in economic decline.
412
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:49,200
The factories that once employed
thousands have closed or moved
413
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,000
overseas.
The railroad industry that made
414
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,280
Reading a hub has diminished.
What's left is a city struggling
415
00:25:56,280 --> 00:26:00,320
with poverty, crime and the kind
of desperation that makes people
416
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:02,120
do things they never thought
they'd do.
417
00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:05,560
Reading has been ranked as one
of the poorest cities in
418
00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:08,480
America.
Nearly one in three residents
419
00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:12,280
lives below the poverty line.
The median household income is
420
00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:14,120
roughly half the national
average.
421
00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:18,760
Unemployment runs high.
Opportunities run low for
422
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,280
immigrant communities,
particularly Latino immigrants
423
00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:23,880
from the Dominican Republic,
Puerto Rico and Mexico.
424
00:26:24,360 --> 00:26:26,720
Redding represents both hope and
hardship.
425
00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:30,360
It's close enough to major
cities like Philadelphia and New
426
00:26:30,360 --> 00:26:32,480
York to feel connected to
opportunity.
427
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,680
It's affordable enough that
families can find housing.
428
00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:38,920
But it's also a place where
making ends meet requires
429
00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:44,320
sacrifice, hustle, and sometimes
dangerous compromises.
430
00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:49,240
The geography of murder The
three locations where bodies
431
00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:52,480
were found tell their own story
about Redding's landscape of
432
00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:57,080
Bear Park Junior's body, Located
along River Rd.
433
00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,680
Bear Park is one of Redding's
public green spaces, but it's
434
00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:04,160
also isolated, poorly
maintained, and the kind of
435
00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:07,160
place where bodies can be dumped
without immediate discovery.
436
00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:11,960
The park sits near the
Schoolkill River in an area that
437
00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:14,520
sees little foot traffic,
especially at night.
438
00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:18,360
It's the kind of place where the
city's decline is visible in
439
00:27:18,360 --> 00:27:22,280
overgrown grass, broken
playground equipment, and the
440
00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:24,560
sense that this space has been
forgotten.
441
00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:30,080
N 5th St. last seen alive.
This is where surveillance
442
00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,240
cameras captured Geraldina
getting into Rodriguez's vehicle
443
00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:35,400
with baby Jayden on September
12th.
444
00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,600
N 5th St. runs through one of
Redding's predominantly Latino
445
00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:43,440
neighborhoods, blocks of row
houses, small businesses with
446
00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:47,560
signs in Spanish, bodegas, and
the everyday life of working
447
00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:51,000
class immigrant families.
This is where Geraldina lived
448
00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,560
her public life, where neighbors
knew her, where she was just
449
00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:58,800
another young mother trying to
make it on Tolani Township.
450
00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:03,800
Geraldina and Jayden's bodies.
Several miles outside Reading
451
00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:07,160
proper on Tolani Township is
rural Pennsylvania.
452
00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:11,520
Farms, woods, isolated roads and
the kind of privacy that makes
453
00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:16,440
it perfect for murder.
E Huller Lane, where the bodies
454
00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:20,240
were found, is a quiet country
Rd. surrounded by fields and
455
00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:23,120
forest.
The shallow pond where Jayden
456
00:28:23,120 --> 00:28:26,760
drowned is the kind of place
kids might play on a summer day,
457
00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:29,440
catching frogs and skipping
stones.
458
00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,760
Instead, it became a baby's
grave.
459
00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:37,320
The distance between these
locations, from the urban core
460
00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:41,040
of Reading to the rural
outskirts, mirrors the distance
461
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:45,560
between Geraldina's two lives,
her public life in the city with
462
00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:49,640
her husband and baby, her secret
life in the apartment Rodriguez
463
00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:51,440
rented.
In the transactional
464
00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,880
relationship she kept hidden,
Rodriguez used Redding's
465
00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,680
geography to his advantage.
He killed Junior in the city and
466
00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:02,120
dumped him in a park.
He killed Geraldina and Jayden
467
00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:05,720
in the isolated countryside
where screams wouldn't carry and
468
00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:08,520
bodies might not be found for
days or weeks.
469
00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:10,920
It was calculated, it was
planned.
470
00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:14,200
It was the work of a man who had
thought through every step.
471
00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:18,800
Part 8.
The sugar daddy culture When
472
00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:23,080
survival becomes a transaction.
The unspoken economy.
473
00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,800
Let's talk about what nobody
wants to talk about.
474
00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:31,280
The economy of sugar daddy
relationships and how poverty
475
00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:33,640
makes women vulnerable to
predatory men.
476
00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,960
Geraldina Peguero Manchabo was
not a sex worker.
477
00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:42,920
She was not an escort.
She was a wife, a mother, a
478
00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:46,320
woman working a warehouse job,
trying to support four children,
479
00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,840
3 in the Dominican Republic, one
in America.
480
00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,560
But somewhere along the way, she
made a calculation that millions
481
00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:57,520
of women make every day.
She accepted financial help from
482
00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:59,480
a man who wanted something in
return.
483
00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:02,760
We don't know exactly what
Rodriguez expected or what
484
00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:06,080
Geraldina provided.
The investigation describes
485
00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,160
their relationship as personal
with unclear nature.
486
00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:11,480
But we know he rented her an
apartment.
487
00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:15,320
We know he gave her money.
We know he believed he had
488
00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:18,840
rights to her, rights that
included demanding she leave her
489
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:21,520
husband.
This is the reality of sugar
490
00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,720
daddy culture that Instagram
influencers and sugar baby
491
00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:28,920
lifestyle blogs don't show you.
Behind the designer bags and
492
00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:33,240
luxury vacations is a power
dynamic built on desperation and
493
00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:36,200
exploitation.
The poverty pipeline.
494
00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,400
Here's how it works.
A woman is struggling
495
00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:41,800
financially.
Maybe she's working minimum
496
00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:44,040
wage.
Maybe she's supporting family
497
00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:46,720
back home.
Maybe she's one emergency away
498
00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:49,680
from homelessness.
She's exhausted, scared and
499
00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:53,160
running out of options.
An older man with money notices
500
00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:54,880
her.
He offers help.
501
00:30:55,360 --> 00:31:01,120
Dinner, rent money, Bills paid,
no strings attached, he says.
502
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:06,120
I just want to help.
At first, maybe it really is
503
00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:09,800
just help.
But slowly the strings appear.
504
00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:14,440
He wants more time, more
attention, more access to her
505
00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:17,200
life.
The help becomes leverage.
506
00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:21,400
The generosity becomes debt.
And when she tries to set
507
00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:26,400
boundaries, when she says I have
a husband or I can't do this
508
00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:30,720
anymore or simply no, the man
who positioned himself as her
509
00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:33,680
savior reveals himself as her
captor.
510
00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:38,280
This is what happened to
Geraldina Rodriguez positioned
511
00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:41,480
himself as a benefactor, but he
was really a predator.
512
00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:45,000
He used her financial
desperation to gain access to
513
00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:48,080
her life, then became enraged
when she wouldn't give him
514
00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:49,840
everything he believed he'd
purchased.
515
00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:53,720
The victim blaming trap.
Here's where the conversation
516
00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:58,200
usually goes wrong.
Someone will say, well, she
517
00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:02,160
shouldn't have taken his money.
She was cheating on her husband.
518
00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:04,680
She knew what she was getting
into.
519
00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:09,120
This is victim blaming and it's
exactly what allows men like
520
00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:13,200
Rodriguez to operate.
Yes, Geraldina made choices.
521
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,000
Yes, she accepted money from
Rodriguez.
522
00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:18,440
Yes, she kept it secret from her
husband.
523
00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:20,800
But none of that justifies
murder.
524
00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:24,080
None of that means she deserved
to be shot in the back of the
525
00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,840
head.
None of that means her baby
526
00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:31,760
deserved to drown in mud.
The power imbalance in sugar
527
00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:36,080
daddy relationships is real.
When a 61 year old man with
528
00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:40,520
resources targets a 31 year old
woman in poverty, that's not a
529
00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:43,920
relationship between equals,
that's exploitation.
530
00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:48,080
When that man believes his money
buys him ownership of her body,
531
00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:52,920
her choices, her future, that's
not generosity, that's control.
532
00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:56,760
And when that man murders her
for refusing to leave her
533
00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:00,800
husband, that's not a crime of
passion, that's femicide.
534
00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,880
That's what happens when men
view women as property.
535
00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:09,120
The broader pattern Geraldina's
story is not unique.
536
00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:12,760
Women are murdered by intimate
partners and former partners at
537
00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:15,440
alarming rates.
In the United States,
538
00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:19,120
approximately 3 women are killed
by intimate partners every day.
539
00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:23,200
But sugar daddy relationships
add to another layer of danger.
540
00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:27,440
Financial dependency creates
additional barriers to leaving.
541
00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:32,040
Secrecy creates isolation.
The transactional nature of the
542
00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:35,760
relationship dehumanizes the
woman, making it easier for the
543
00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:39,000
man to justify violence when she
doesn't comply with his
544
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,360
expectations.
Research shows that financial
545
00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:45,520
abuse is one of the strongest
predictors of intimate partner
546
00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:48,440
violence.
When men use money to control
547
00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:52,120
women, that control often
escalates to physical violence.
548
00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:57,240
Rodriguez's rage at Geraldina
taking his money reveals this
549
00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:00,880
mindset perfectly.
He didn't see the money as gifts
550
00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:05,040
or even as payment for services.
He saw it as an investment in
551
00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:07,680
ownership.
When Geraldina refused to
552
00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:11,199
deliver what he believed he'd
purchased, he felt justified in
553
00:34:11,199 --> 00:34:15,239
taking everything from her.
Her life, her husband's life,
554
00:34:15,679 --> 00:34:20,960
her baby's life.
Part 9 The Message No Tears for
555
00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:27,040
Black Girls Why this story
matters This is a No Tears for
556
00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:30,239
Black Girls story because it's
about a woman of color
557
00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,600
navigating systems that were
never designed to protect her.
558
00:34:34,679 --> 00:34:38,239
Geraldina was Dominican, an
immigrant working class
559
00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:40,760
struggling in a city with
limited resources and
560
00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:43,840
opportunities.
When she needed help, there was
561
00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:48,800
no safety net, no affordable
childcare, no living wage, no
562
00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:51,320
way to support four children on
a warehouse salary.
563
00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:54,400
So she made a choice that seemed
like survival.
564
00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:57,280
She accepted help from a man who
offered it.
565
00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:01,320
And that choice killed her.
This is what happens when we
566
00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:04,720
don't support women.
When we don't pay living wages.
567
00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:08,600
When we don't provide affordable
housing, childcare, healthcare.
568
00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:12,680
When we force women to choose
between poverty and dangerous
569
00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,760
compromises.
Geraldina shouldn't have had to
570
00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,360
make that choice.
She should have been able to
571
00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:21,520
support her family without
accepting money from a predatory
572
00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:24,280
man.
She should have had options that
573
00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:27,400
didn't include becoming
financially dependent on someone
574
00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:32,720
who viewed her as property.
The three orphans somewhere in
575
00:35:32,720 --> 00:35:35,920
the Dominican Republic, three
children are growing up without
576
00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:38,680
parents.
They're being raised by extended
577
00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:42,280
family, trying to process a
trauma that no child should have
578
00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:45,240
to understand.
Their mother was murdered.
579
00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:48,840
Their father was murdered.
Their baby brother was drowned.
580
00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:52,520
And why?
Because their mother tried to
581
00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:55,560
survive.
Because she accepted money from
582
00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:58,240
a man who believed that money
bought him ownership.
583
00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:03,080
Because she dared to say no.
These three children are the
584
00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:07,000
living legacy of this tragedy.
They're also a reminder of
585
00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:10,280
what's at stake when we don't
address the systemic issues that
586
00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:12,640
make women vulnerable to
predatory men.
587
00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:17,120
The baby in the mud.
But it's Jayden's death that
588
00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:20,280
haunts this story.
It's the detail that made
589
00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:22,920
District Attorney John Adams
want to cry.
590
00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:26,680
It's the image that will stay
with investigators for the rest
591
00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:30,680
of their careers.
A one year old baby, thrown face
592
00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:35,600
down into muddy water, alive,
struggling, drowning.
593
00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:40,200
Jayden didn't make any choices.
He didn't accept money from
594
00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:42,400
anyone.
He didn't have a secret
595
00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:46,200
relationship.
He was just a baby, held in his
596
00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:50,600
mother's arms, present at the
wrong moment, and Jose Luis
597
00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:52,560
Rodriguez threw him away like
garbage.
598
00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:56,560
This is what male entitlement
looks like at its most extreme.
599
00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:01,920
Rodriguez was so consumed by
rage at Geraldina's refusal, so
600
00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:05,040
convinced of his right to own
her, that he murdered an
601
00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:07,800
innocent baby just to complete
his revenge.
602
00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:11,800
Jaden's death is the ultimate
proof that this wasn't about
603
00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:15,640
love or passion, or even
jealousy in any romantic sense.
604
00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:20,240
This was about power, about a
man who couldn't accept that a
605
00:37:20,240 --> 00:37:24,400
woman he'd financially supported
still had the right to say no.
606
00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:29,120
Part 10, the latest updates and
current status where the case
607
00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:34,840
stands now.
As of December 2025, Jose Luis
608
00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:38,440
Rodriguez remains in Berks
County Prison awaiting trial.
609
00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:42,520
His case is moving through the
Pennsylvania court system, with
610
00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:45,840
a trial date expected to be set
in early 2026.
611
00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:49,320
The Berks County District
Attorney's Office has made it
612
00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:52,480
clear they will seek the maximum
penalties available under
613
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:55,800
Pennsylvania law.
While Pennsylvania maintains a
614
00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:59,480
moratorium on the death penalty,
Rodriguez faces three
615
00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:02,640
consecutive life sentences
without the possibility of
616
00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:05,200
parole if convicted on all
counts.
617
00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:08,440
Legal experts say the case is
open and shut.
618
00:38:09,240 --> 00:38:12,480
Rodriguez's confession, combined
with physical evidence,
619
00:38:12,600 --> 00:38:16,960
surveillance footage and autopsy
results, creates an overwhelming
620
00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:21,880
case for the prosecution.
The defense's only real strategy
621
00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:26,320
may be to negotiate a plea deal
that avoids trial, sparing the
622
00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:29,080
family from having to relive the
horror in court.
623
00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:33,800
The family's ongoing struggle
The GoFundMe campaign to
624
00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:37,520
repatriate the bodies to the
Dominican Republic successfully
625
00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:40,840
raised enough money to bring
Junior, Geraldina and Jayden
626
00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:44,040
home.
The family held Funeral services
627
00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:47,160
in the Dominican Republic, where
the three were buried together.
628
00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:49,960
But the financial struggle
continues.
629
00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:53,600
The three surviving children
need ongoing support.
630
00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:57,640
Extended family members who have
taken them in are now
631
00:38:57,640 --> 00:39:01,640
responsible for raising them,
feeding them, educating them,
632
00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:04,920
all while processing their own
grief and trauma.
633
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:09,760
The family has also expressed
frustration with the pace of the
634
00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:13,760
legal system.
We want justice, Geraldina's
635
00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:18,160
cousin told reporters.
But justice moves so slowly, and
636
00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:21,600
every day we wait is another day
those children are without
637
00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:26,280
answers.
Community Impact In Redding's
638
00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:29,880
Dominican community, Geraldina's
story has sparked difficult
639
00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:33,080
conversations about financial
desperation, secret
640
00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:36,680
relationships, and the dangers
women face when they accept help
641
00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:40,440
from men with ulterior motives.
Some community members have
642
00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:43,760
organized support groups for
women in similar situations.
643
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:46,840
Women who are struggling
financially, who may be in
644
00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:50,040
relationships with men, who
provide financial support, who
645
00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:52,240
need resources and exit
strategies.
646
00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,720
Local domestic violence
organizations have reported an
647
00:39:55,720 --> 00:39:58,120
increase in calls from women
seeking help.
648
00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,720
Geraldina's story has prompted
some women to recognize
649
00:40:01,720 --> 00:40:05,320
dangerous patterns in their own
relationships and reach out for
650
00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:11,120
support before it's too late.
Media coverage The case has
651
00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:15,360
received significant media
attention both locally and
652
00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:18,320
nationally.
The horrific details,
653
00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:21,840
particularly Jayden's death,
have made it a story that
654
00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:24,560
captures public attention and
outrage.
655
00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:28,800
But some coverage has been
problematic, focusing on
656
00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:31,920
sensational details while
ignoring the systemic issues
657
00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:36,960
that made Geraldina vulnerable.
Headlines like Sugar Daddy Kills
658
00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:41,680
Family reduce a complex story of
poverty, desperation, and male
659
00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:46,760
violence to a salacious tagline.
This is why platforms like No
660
00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:49,040
Tears for Black Girls are so
important.
661
00:40:49,640 --> 00:40:51,640
We tell these stories with
context.
662
00:40:52,240 --> 00:40:56,680
We center the victim's humanity.
We ask the hard questions about
663
00:40:56,680 --> 00:41:00,360
why women like Geraldina end up
in these situations in the 1st
664
00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:03,280
place.
Calls for systemic change
665
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:07,080
Advocates are using Geraldina's
story to push for policy
666
00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:10,840
changes.
Living wages If Geraldina had
667
00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:14,200
been able to support her family
on her warehouse salary, she
668
00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:16,040
wouldn't have needed Rodriguez's
money.
669
00:41:16,720 --> 00:41:19,960
Poverty wages force women into
dangerous compromises.
670
00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:24,520
Affordable housing.
The housing crisis in cities
671
00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:27,960
like Redding means families
can't afford rent on legitimate
672
00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:31,520
incomes, making them vulnerable
to predators who offer to pay
673
00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:34,760
their bills.
Immigration support services.
674
00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:39,520
Immigrant families need access
to resources, financial literacy
675
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:43,640
programs, and community support
that doesn't leave them isolated
676
00:41:43,720 --> 00:41:47,160
and vulnerable.
Financial abuse education.
677
00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:51,360
Recognizing financial abuse as a
form of domestic violence and
678
00:41:51,360 --> 00:41:54,120
providing resources for women
trapped in financially
679
00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:58,200
controlling relationships.
Stronger enforcement of stalking
680
00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:01,760
and harassment laws.
Rodriguez's escalating behavior
681
00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:03,840
showed warning signs before the
murders.
682
00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,080
Better intervention could
potentially save lives.
683
00:42:08,320 --> 00:42:13,360
Epilogue The Cost of Survival
What Geraldina Paid Geraldina
684
00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:17,120
Peguero Mancebo made a choice
that millions of women make
685
00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:20,400
every day.
She accepted help from a man who
686
00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:22,920
offered it.
She tried to keep her family
687
00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:26,080
afloat in a system designed to
let people like her drown.
688
00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:28,840
She paid for that choice with
her life.
689
00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:33,560
Her husband paid with his life.
Her baby paid with his life.
690
00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:37,280
Her three surviving children
paid with their childhood, their
691
00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:43,240
innocence, their parents.
And Jose Luis Rodriguez, he sits
692
00:42:43,240 --> 00:42:47,000
in a prison cell waiting for
trial, having destroyed an
693
00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:51,240
entire family because a woman
dared to tell him no, the
694
00:42:51,240 --> 00:42:54,560
uncomfortable truth.
Here's what we need to
695
00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:57,280
understand.
Geraldina's story is playing out
696
00:42:57,280 --> 00:42:59,120
right now in cities across
America.
697
00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:02,440
Women are making impossible
choices between poverty and
698
00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:05,680
dangerous compromises.
They're accepting money from men
699
00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:08,440
who view them as property.
They're walking tight ropes
700
00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:10,160
between survival and
destruction.
701
00:43:10,720 --> 00:43:12,280
Some of them will make it
across.
702
00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:15,280
Some of them won't.
The ones who don't make it
703
00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:18,160
become statistics.
They become headlines.
704
00:43:18,640 --> 00:43:21,960
They become cautionary tales
that other women read and think.
705
00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:25,880
That won't happen to me.
I'm smarter.
706
00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:29,200
I'm more careful.
I can handle it.
707
00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:31,840
But Geraldina thought the same
thing.
708
00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:35,000
She believed she could take
Rodriguez's money and maintain
709
00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:37,840
her boundaries.
She thought she was in control
710
00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:42,560
until the moment she realized
she wasn't the baby's last
711
00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:46,800
moments.
Let's end where we began, with
712
00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:51,760
Jayden Junior Peguero, one year
old, thrown face down into muddy
713
00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:55,840
water in his last moments.
Jayden didn't understand what
714
00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:58,800
was happening.
He didn't understand why the
715
00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:01,640
world had suddenly become cold
and wet and dark.
716
00:44:02,720 --> 00:44:04,640
He didn't understand why he
couldn't breathe.
717
00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:08,040
He didn't understand why his
mother wasn't saving him.
718
00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:11,880
He just knew terror.
He just knew the instinctive,
719
00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:14,520
desperate fight for air that
every drowning victim
720
00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:17,560
experiences.
He just knew that something was
721
00:44:17,560 --> 00:44:21,720
very, very wrong.
And then he knew nothing at all.
722
00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:26,600
The mud filled his lungs.
The water took him, and Jose
723
00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:30,400
Luis Rodriguez walked away,
leaving a baby's body floating
724
00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:34,440
in a shallow pond like it was
nothing like Jaden's life meant
725
00:44:34,440 --> 00:44:38,400
nothing, like the only thing
that mattered was Rodriguez's
726
00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:42,800
wounded pride and his rage at a
woman who refused to be owned.
727
00:44:44,240 --> 00:44:47,720
The message?
This is what happens when men
728
00:44:47,720 --> 00:44:50,520
view women as property.
This is what happens when
729
00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:53,640
poverty forces women into
dangerous compromises.
730
00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:57,080
This is what happens when
financial desperation meets male
731
00:44:57,080 --> 00:45:00,000
entitlement.
This is what happens when a
732
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:04,200
woman's no is treated as a crime
punishable by death.
733
00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:08,560
Geraldina Peguero Manchabo was
not perfect.
734
00:45:08,920 --> 00:45:10,840
She made choices that some will
judge.
735
00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:15,160
But she didn't deserve to die.
Junior didn't deserve to die.
736
00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:20,000
And Jayden, innocent, helpless
one year old Jayden certainly
737
00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:23,000
didn't deserve to drown in mud
while his killer walked away.
738
00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:28,640
No tears for black girls.
We tell these stories because
739
00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:32,000
someone has to.
We tell them with context, with
740
00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:35,120
compassion, with an
understanding of the systems
741
00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:37,520
that fail women of color every
single day.
742
00:45:38,240 --> 00:45:41,160
We tell them because Geraldina's
name deserves to be remembered
743
00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:45,680
as more than just a victim.
She was a mother, a wife, a
744
00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:48,960
woman trying to survive in a
world that gave her impossible
745
00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:51,880
choices.
We tell them because Junior's
746
00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:54,760
name deserves to be remembered
as more than just collateral
747
00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:59,040
damage.
He was a father, a husband, a
748
00:45:59,040 --> 00:46:03,080
man building a life in America.
We tell them because Jayden's
749
00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:05,880
name deserves to be remembered
as more than just the most
750
00:46:05,880 --> 00:46:08,040
horrific detail in a murder
case.
751
00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:12,640
He was a baby with his whole
life ahead of him, stolen before
752
00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:14,760
he could even speak his first
words.
753
00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:18,800
We tell these stories because
silence protects predators.
754
00:46:19,280 --> 00:46:22,920
Silence allows men like Jose
Luis Rodriguez to operate.
755
00:46:23,560 --> 00:46:26,920
Silence lets the systems that
failed Geraldina continue
756
00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:30,280
failing other women.
We tell these stories because
757
00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:32,360
black and brown women's lives
matter.
758
00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:35,080
Because immigrant women's lives
matter.
759
00:46:35,720 --> 00:46:37,600
Because poor women's lives
matter.
760
00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:41,360
We tell these stories because
there should be tears for black
761
00:46:41,360 --> 00:46:45,560
girls, for Dominican girls, for
every woman who makes an
762
00:46:45,560 --> 00:46:48,800
impossible choice and pays the
ultimate price.
763
00:46:49,360 --> 00:46:53,240
The three orphans Somewhere in
the Dominican Republic tonight,
764
00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:56,160
three children are going to bed
without their parents.
765
00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:59,560
They're being tucked in by aunts
and grandmothers and cousins who
766
00:46:59,560 --> 00:47:03,280
are doing their best but who can
never replace what was stolen.
767
00:47:04,200 --> 00:47:06,280
Those children will grow up with
questions.
768
00:47:06,760 --> 00:47:09,600
They'll want to know why.
They'll want to understand how
769
00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:12,440
their mother's choice to accept
help from a man led to the
770
00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:14,400
destruction of their entire
family.
771
00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:18,240
And someday, someone will have
to tell them the truth.
772
00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:20,720
That their mother was trying to
survive.
773
00:47:21,480 --> 00:47:23,480
That she was trying to give them
a better life.
774
00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:27,040
That she made a choice that
seemed like the only option
775
00:47:27,040 --> 00:47:30,640
available to her.
And that a man who believed he
776
00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:34,760
owned her decided that if he
couldn't have her, no one would.
777
00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:39,520
Those three children are the
living legacy of this tragedy.
778
00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:43,440
They're also a reminder of
what's at stake every time we
779
00:47:43,440 --> 00:47:46,400
ignore the systemic issues that
make women vulnerable.
780
00:47:47,200 --> 00:47:51,040
Every time we blame victims
instead of predators, Every time
781
00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:55,440
we look away from uncomfortable
truths about poverty, power, and
782
00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:58,600
male violence.
Justice delayed.
783
00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:01,680
Jose Luis Rodriguez will
eventually face trial.
784
00:48:02,000 --> 00:48:04,720
He'll likely be convicted.
He'll probably spend the rest of
785
00:48:04,720 --> 00:48:07,520
his life in prison.
But that's not justice.
786
00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:10,400
Not really.
Justice would be Geraldina
787
00:48:10,400 --> 00:48:15,080
alive, raising her four children
free from financial desperation.
788
00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:19,800
Justice would be Junior, alive,
working, building his American
789
00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:22,680
dream.
Justice would be Jaden alive,
790
00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:27,000
taking his first steps, saying
his first words growing up.
791
00:48:27,840 --> 00:48:30,600
Justice would be a world where
women don't have to choose
792
00:48:30,600 --> 00:48:32,720
between poverty and predatory
men.
793
00:48:33,520 --> 00:48:37,840
Justice would be a world where a
woman's no is respected, not
794
00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:41,280
punished with death.
Justice would be a world where
795
00:48:41,280 --> 00:48:44,960
babies don't drown in mud
because a man's ego was wounded.
796
00:48:46,040 --> 00:48:49,240
We don't live in that world.
We live in this one where
797
00:48:49,240 --> 00:48:53,480
Geraldina is dead, Junior is
dead, Jayden is dead, and three
798
00:48:53,480 --> 00:48:57,200
children are orphans.
All because a 61 year old man
799
00:48:57,200 --> 00:49:00,720
believed his money bought him
ownership of a 31 year old
800
00:49:00,720 --> 00:49:04,320
woman's life.
All because male entitlement met
801
00:49:04,320 --> 00:49:07,920
financial desperation and
created a perfect storm of
802
00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:10,760
violence.
All because we live in a world
803
00:49:10,760 --> 00:49:15,400
that fails women of color over
and over and over again.
804
00:49:16,680 --> 00:49:20,480
The final word.
This is the story of Geraldina
805
00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:25,080
Peguero, Monsebo Junior Cabrera
Cologne, and Jayden Junior
806
00:49:25,080 --> 00:49:27,720
Peguero.
This is the story of what
807
00:49:27,720 --> 00:49:30,320
happens when survival becomes a
transaction.
808
00:49:31,080 --> 00:49:34,400
This is the story of the true
cost of sugar daddy culture.
809
00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:39,440
This is the story of three lives
stolen, three bodies in three
810
00:49:39,440 --> 00:49:43,440
locations, and one man's belief
that he had the right to destroy
811
00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:47,920
an entire family.
This is a no tears for black
812
00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:51,000
girls story, but there should be
tears.
813
00:49:51,360 --> 00:49:54,520
There should be rage.
There should be a commitment to
814
00:49:54,520 --> 00:49:57,880
changing the systems that made
Geraldina vulnerable in the 1st
815
00:49:57,880 --> 00:50:00,600
place.
Because somewhere, right now,
816
00:50:01,040 --> 00:50:04,440
another woman is making the same
impossible choice Geraldina
817
00:50:04,440 --> 00:50:07,040
made.
Another woman is accepting money
818
00:50:07,040 --> 00:50:08,960
from a man who views her as
property.
819
00:50:09,720 --> 00:50:13,080
Another woman is walking the
same tightrope between survival
820
00:50:13,080 --> 00:50:16,040
and destruction.
And we have to ask ourselves,
821
00:50:16,320 --> 00:50:20,680
will we let her story end the
same way, or will we finally do
822
00:50:20,680 --> 00:50:24,000
something to change the world
that creates these tragedies in
823
00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:28,120
the 1st place?
Rest in power, Geraldina
824
00:50:28,120 --> 00:50:33,160
Peguero, Monsebo, 31 years old.
Rest in power, Junior Cabrera,
825
00:50:33,160 --> 00:50:37,480
Colon, 33 years old.
Rest in power Jayden, Junior
826
00:50:37,480 --> 00:50:41,400
Peguero, one year old.
Your lives mattered.
827
00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:46,160
Your stories matter, and we will
not let the world forget what
828
00:50:46,160 --> 00:50:50,080
was done to you.
Author's Note This story is
829
00:50:50,080 --> 00:50:53,240
based on the real murders of
Geraldina Peguero, Mansebo
830
00:50:53,600 --> 00:50:58,200
Junior Cabrera Colon and Jayden
Junior Peguero in Reading, PA in
831
00:50:58,200 --> 00:51:02,720
September 2025.
Jose Luis Rodriguez has been
832
00:51:02,720 --> 00:51:04,960
charged with their murders and
awaits trial.
833
00:51:05,240 --> 00:51:10,400
As of December 2025, the details
of the sugar daddy relationship,
834
00:51:10,760 --> 00:51:14,200
the financial arrangement, and
the specific dynamics between
835
00:51:14,200 --> 00:51:17,960
Rodriguez and Geraldina have
been reconstructed from police
836
00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:21,400
reports, court documents, and
media coverage.
837
00:51:22,320 --> 00:51:24,960
While some narrative elements
have been dramatized for
838
00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:29,520
storytelling purposes, all major
facts, including the timeline of
839
00:51:29,520 --> 00:51:34,080
murders, the methods used, the
discovery of bodies, Rodriguez's
840
00:51:34,080 --> 00:51:38,200
confession, and the autopsy
finding of mud in Baby Jayden's
841
00:51:38,200 --> 00:51:42,240
lungs, are based on official
investigative findings.
842
00:51:43,120 --> 00:51:46,800
This story is told to honor the
victims, to provide context for
843
00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:50,080
the systemic issues that made
Geraldina vulnerable, and to
844
00:51:50,080 --> 00:51:53,200
spark conversation about the
dangers of sugar daddy culture,
845
00:51:53,560 --> 00:51:56,640
financial abuse, and male
violence against women.
846
00:51:57,400 --> 00:52:00,440
If you or someone you know is in
a financially controlling or
847
00:52:00,440 --> 00:52:03,480
abusive relationship, please
reach out for help.
848
00:52:04,040 --> 00:52:12,880
National Domestic Violence
Hotline 1-800-799-7233 National
849
00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:20,800
Sexual Assault hotline
1-800-656-4673 Financial Abuse
850
00:52:20,800 --> 00:52:27,960
resources
wwww.nnedv.org/content/about
851
00:52:27,960 --> 00:52:32,640
Financial abuse For the No Tears
for Black Girls podcast.
852
00:52:32,840 --> 00:52:36,440
This is a story we tell because
silence protects predators.
853
00:52:36,880 --> 00:52:39,760
We tell it because black and
brown women's lives matter.
854
00:52:40,160 --> 00:52:44,440
We tell it because there should
be tears and action for every
855
00:52:44,440 --> 00:52:47,120
woman whose survival choices
lead to tragedy.
856
00:52:48,000 --> 00:52:50,560
Stay loved, stay blessed, and
stay safe.
857
00:52:51,200 --> 00:52:55,600
This is Samantha Paul.
Up next is Truth Teller, a song
858
00:52:55,600 --> 00:52:58,760
from the upcoming No Tears for
Black Girls soundtrack featuring
859
00:52:58,760 --> 00:53:02,720
Jada Truth, a character from
Dead Mike, the next novel in the
860
00:53:02,720 --> 00:53:04,560
No Tears for Black Girls
universe.
861
00:53:05,480 --> 00:53:07,920
Both the book and soundtrack
dropped this Halloween.
862
00:53:08,360 --> 00:53:11,320
Until next time, hopefully I'll
see you there.
863
00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:15,520
They always ask me, do you
regret it?
864
00:53:19,120 --> 00:53:24,920
Regret telling the truth?
Never Mama wasn't there when I
865
00:53:24,920 --> 00:53:29,840
needed a most, let me searching
for love, chasing girls 15 years
866
00:53:29,880 --> 00:53:33,600
old, looking for oh in the arms
of a man who should've let me
867
00:53:33,600 --> 00:53:41,360
alone, promised me safety, why
he planted a sea, a dependency
868
00:53:41,440 --> 00:53:44,480
rather than false cafe.
While my family acted like they
869
00:53:44,480 --> 00:53:47,800
weren't aware they knew.
But I learned to play the game
870
00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:50,600
he taught, aren't quick.
Turn his lessons into what I
871
00:53:50,600 --> 00:53:53,400
saw.
Money in my pocket, power in my
872
00:53:53,400 --> 00:53:56,040
hand even when I didn't
understand.
873
00:53:56,040 --> 00:53:57,160
True Teller.
True Teller.
874
00:53:58,240 --> 00:54:01,480
That's what I became as me when
I spoiled the light, destroyed
875
00:54:01,480 --> 00:54:02,480
his game.
True Teller.
876
00:54:02,840 --> 00:54:06,240
True Teller found my power,
found it in that moment of true.
877
00:54:06,240 --> 00:54:08,760
My finest hour.
My moment he thought he would
878
00:54:08,760 --> 00:54:10,840
sleep, thought he had controlled
our own.
879
00:54:11,040 --> 00:54:14,720
But I was learning how to save
myself, save myself every dollar
880
00:54:14,720 --> 00:54:17,360
that he gave to me.
Everyone was buying back my
881
00:54:17,360 --> 00:54:20,800
future, set me free, my freedom.
I want your love face every
882
00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:23,480
night, every night.
And when I had the power to make
883
00:54:23,480 --> 00:54:26,640
it right and the power I'll make
it wrong depending how you see
884
00:54:26,640 --> 00:54:29,360
how you see the wreck in that
was building inside of me,
885
00:54:29,480 --> 00:54:33,680
building up so I get it on my
courage and my red all the time.
886
00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:37,120
I burned down this day.
Burn it down in this chapter of
887
00:54:37,120 --> 00:54:40,480
my stolen you stolen from
nothing but the burning truth
888
00:54:41,280 --> 00:54:44,000
truth teller.
That's what I became when I
889
00:54:44,000 --> 00:55:07,120
exposed the lies.
Told her everything, didn't
890
00:55:07,120 --> 00:55:10,880
sugarcoat all about her husband
and what he done.
891
00:55:10,880 --> 00:55:15,160
I always stole my childhood. 31
Told her I was 15.
892
00:55:15,360 --> 00:55:16,720
Washed her face fall.
Watch it fall.
893
00:55:17,080 --> 00:55:19,200
Watch this Kingdom crumble.
Watched it, all of it.
894
00:55:20,120 --> 00:55:24,240
And I won't lie, I enjoyed the
show watching everybody chose a
895
00:55:24,280 --> 00:55:25,600
soul.
Bloody soul.
896
00:55:25,640 --> 00:55:27,800
Just a surf code on a silver
plate.
897
00:55:28,360 --> 00:55:31,000
Sometimes the truth just can't
wait, can't wait.
898
00:55:31,000 --> 00:55:33,920
His world in ashes.
Myself for me free.
899
00:55:33,920 --> 00:55:35,840
That's what's speaking True
differently.
900
00:55:35,960 --> 00:55:40,720
Differently True teller.
True teller.
901
00:55:45,560 --> 00:55:57,960
That's what I became.
And
902
00:56:13,160 --> 00:56:20,120
by the way, it was my aunt's
husband, the man at every family
903
00:56:20,120 --> 00:56:24,480
dinner, the one they all
trusted.
904
00:56:26,200 --> 00:56:30,160
They trusted him.
Family don't always mean family.
905
00:56:32,000 --> 00:56:35,440
The truth will set you free.
Set you free.




























