A man is under arrest in connection with the killing of a taxi driver who was last seen alive picking up a customer at the Metro-North train station in Brewster, New York, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Santos Vasquez Ramirez, 28, of Pawling, New York, has been charged with Second Degree Murder and First Degree Robbery, Sheriff Brian Hess announced Saturday. Hess says Vasquez Ramirez confessed to strangling and killing Zhunio-Orbez over the fare.
The victim, Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez, 66, of Danbury, Connecticut, had picked up the customer in the middle of the day from the Brewster station on Dec. 1, according to the victim’s cousin.
Zhunio-Orbez’s taxi car was soon found abandoned in the parking lot of the nearby Purdy train station and swept for fingerprints and DNA. On Sunday Dec. 7, his body was found floating in a nearby reservoir by two men who were fishing.
“(They) were fishing in the Croton Falls Reservoir noticed a body floating,” said Hess. “He was just floating in the reservoir.”
Hess says Vasquez Ramirez was taken into custody Friday night outside his Pawling home. A photo released by the Sheriff’s Office Saturday appeared to show the suspect smiling as he was escorted by authorities.
Santos Vasquez Ramirez, 28, is escorted by authorities after his arrest for murder in the killing of taxi driver Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez. (Photo provided by Putnam County Sheriff’s Office)
“The investigation involved a comprehensive review of video surveillance, forensic evidence, and
information developed through coordinated efforts with partner agencies. Investigators
canvassed numerous surveillance systems and analyzed evidence that ultimately led to the
identification and arrest of the suspect,” said Hess. “Forensic evidence, including blood and DNA, was
recovered and submitted for analysis, with testing ongoing,” he said.
Zhunio-Orbez’s cellphone was found near his body. The victim’s cousin estimates he was probably carrying roughly $200 in cash at the time of his killing.