Woman Bludgeoned To Death In Union Co., Man Arrested: Prosecutor

UNION COUNTY, NJ — An Elizabeth man was arrested Sunday evening in connection with a bludgeoning death that took place early Sunday morning, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, Elizabeth Police Director Earl J. Graves and Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca jointly announced Monday.

Victor H. Rodriguez Gomez, 33, was charged with first-degree murder and two related weapons offenses in connection with the murder of Carmen Lopez Barahona, 30, of Elizabeth, prosecutors said.

Elizabeth Police Department Patrol Units found Barahona, who had sustained fatal injuries as a result of blunt force trauma to her head, shortly after 2 a.m. on Sunday at the 200 block of Lt. Glenn Zamorski Drive, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Jillian Reyes.

The investigation revealed Gomez fled the scene after the killing, prosecutors said. His car was later found by the Perth Amboy Police Department.

Gomez was then arrested and sent to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office without incident, prosecutors said. Gomez is currently being held in the Union County Jail pending a first appearance.

This investigation was led by the Union County Homicide Task Force and the Elizabeth Police
Department, assisted by the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit and the Perth Amboy Police Department.

“We appreciate the hard work and collaboration with our local law enforcement agencies who assisted our office in locating and apprehending the suspect,” Prosecutor Daniel said. “We hope that this arrest can bring some small measure of comfort to all those grieving Ms. Barahona.”

Anyone with information on this matter is being urged to contact Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force Sergeant Filipe Afonso at (908) 965-3807, Detective Kenneth Luongo at (908) 527-4643 or Elizabeth Police Detective James Szpond at (908) 558-2041.

Prosecutors said convictions on crimes of this nature are punishable by terms of up to life in state prison.