A 66-year-old taxi driver reported missing from Connecticut was killed and dumped in an upstate New York reservoir — with a massive police manhunt now underway to find the culprit.
Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez, who was reported missing the Danbury Police Department on Dec. 1, was found by a fisherman Sunday, floating in the Croton Falls Reservoir in Putnam County, the county sheriff said.
Police also issued an alert for Zhunio-Orbez’s cab, a black Toyota Sienna, which was stolen by the killer.
Taxi driver Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez, 66, was found dead in the Croton Falls Reservoir on Sunday, police said. Facebook/City of Danbury Police Department
“Following a post-mortem examination, the Office of the Putnam County Coroner has ruled the death a homicide,” the sheriff said in a release. “A comprehensive criminal investigation is underway.”
Danbury police said on Facebook that Zhunio-Orbez was last seen around 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 at the Brewster, New York, Metro-North station while working as a livery driver.
The car has ORBESTAXI.COM on the rear, along with “V89” marked on the back left side and a white taxi sign mounted on the roof, according to a report by ABC7 Eyewitness News.
The Connecticut department referred any questions about the case to the Putnam County sheriff.
The black Toyota Sienna livery vehicle stolen by Aurelio Zhunio-Obez’s killer, according to the Putnam County sheriff. facebook/putnamsheriffny
“My uncle was a dedicated father, brother, uncle, and friend,” the dead man’s niece, Isabel Alvarado, wrote in a gofundme.com page to raise funds for his family. “He was deeply loved within his community and in other communities as well. As a local taxi driver, he built strong connections with the people he served, and many came to appreciate his kindness, generosity, and hard work.
“Sadly, there are individuals in this world who take advantage of those who are most vulnerable, and now our family is facing an irreparable loss,” she wrote.
The site has a goal of $7,000 and has raised just over $3,000 by Wednesday evening.