About a week after the West New York Police were called to a gruesome discovery, neighbors are still amazed that a 20-year-old expectant mother was strangled by a shoelace in her 59th Street basement apartment, allegedly by her boyfriend.
The boyfriend’s brother was the one who found the body of 20-year-old Lucia Rojas on Thursday, June 22, near midnight. According to police, the brother had just spoken to the alleged killer, Santos Garcia Lira, 21, earlier that evening.
“Santos Garcia Lira made admissions to his brother at about 11 p.m. that caused his brother concern regarding Lucia,” said Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio. “He went to their apartment, where he gained entry and he noticed her body lying on the bed. He then went to back to his residence, which is also on 59th Street, and it was at that point that the uncle of the brothers called 911 and the West New York Police responded.”
The first units arrived at the scene at about 12:36 a.m., and at that point Lira was nowhere in the area.
Message in blood on mirror
“The first call came into [West New York Police Headquarters] at about 12:11 a.m. on Friday, June 23, and the first units arrived at about 12:36 a.m.,” said Guy Gregory, assistant Hudson County prosecutor.
Rojas was visibly months pregnant, and according to newspaper reports, relatives said she was due around August.
DeFazio said, “Nothing could be done to save the child.”
Police also discovered a message written in blood on the bedroom mirror in Spanish. It read, “Lucy, I will always love you.”
“It was on the mirror in the bedroom where the victim was discovered,” said DeFazio.
Walks up to police with cut wrists
Hours later, North Bergen police arrested Lira just blocks away from the crime scene, at 79th Street and Bergenline Avenue. Lira had apparently slashed his wrists by the time police picked him up, but the cuts were not life-threatening.
“At about 4 a.m. the following morning is when [Lira] walked to up to the North Bergen police officer’s marked car and said words to the effect, ‘I am the man your looking for,’ ” said DeFazio. “The cuts were relatively minor injuries, but he did bleed, and his blood was apparently used to write that message on the mirror in the bedroom where the young lady was discovered.”
The knife believed to be used to cut himself was found in the apartment.
Lira has been formally charged with Rojas’ murder and is currently being held at Hudson County Correctional in Kearny on a $350,000 cash bail set by Superior Court Judge Kevin Callaghan.
“He’ll await the grand jury, and if he’s indicted, he’ll await trial,” said Gregory. “If he’s found guilty the maximum sentence is 30 years to life.”
Flowers left on the window of the Rojas’ basement have since dried up.