Family Members Find Woman's Body In Basement Hours After Cops Search Rahway Home
RAHWAY, N.J.(CBSNewYork) -- The Union County Prosecutor was investigating the murder of a young mother in Rahway on Monday night.
As CBS2's Tony Aiello reported, it was a bizarre crime on Beacon Street. Yolanda Vega, 35, a mother of two, was found dead inside of her home early Monday morning, hours after police searched her home.
Rahway police were at the home on Sunday evening after Vega's son Jonathan came home and found a gunman hiding in a closet.
"He apparently saw the guy in the closet, closed the door, went to the neighbor, and called the cops," neighbor Richard Jones said.
The victim's former fiancee, and father of her children, spoke briefly with CBS2's Aiello.
"She's a very beautiful person. If you knew her you would love her, honestly. Whatever animal did this needs to be caught," Freddy Hernandez said.
Family members said that in the confusion police detained a neighbor who was chasing the suspect who escaped.
Vega was nowhere to be found.
"Her car was here, and we just waited for her. We filled out missing person's report, we waited for her. They came, brought the search dogs, couldn't find her," Hernandez said.
"They had dogs go in there and everything, but at that point they didn't find a body," neighbor Cary Jones said.
Then, overnight, a family member found Vega's body behind a curtain in the basement.
"The body was in the house. There were search dogs, they didn't find it," Hernandez said.
Neighbors said Vega was a lovely person, devoted to her two sons.
She worked at a Dick's Sporting Goods store in Union. A manager there told CBS2's Aiello, "Everyone here loved Yolanda, we are all in shock."
"To me it's very sketchy. Some of the stuff just doesn't make sense. I just hop they get to the bottom of it, you know?" Herb Ramos said.
Hernandez said he tried to do CPR on Vega after she was found, but it was too late.
Autopsy results and a cause of death were expected on Tuesday.
Anyone with information regarding Vega's death can give tips anonymously by phone at (908) 654-TIPS, or via text message by texting UCTIP, plus a message to 274637 [CRIMES]. Tips can also be left online at www.uctip.org.
