Police said Friday, March 7, that a man has been arrested for the murder of previously missing 26-year-old woman, Pamela Alcántara Rubiera, of 2200 Morris Avenue in Fordham Heights.

 

As reported, Alcántara Rubiera’s body was discovered in Yonkers on Thursday, March 6, as part of an investigation into her disappearance. A police source later confirmed that the man arrested is her boyfriend who has since been identified as Junior Perez Diaz, 46, of 2200 Morris Avenue, The Bronx. He has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and second-degree kidnapping.

 

The media outlet, DM Noticias, had released this video footage on social media following her disappearance with accompanying text in Spanish, which reads (in English), “Pamela Alcántara, a young Dominican of 26 years of age, was last seen on Sunday, March 2, around 2 a.m. at her home located at 2200 Morris Avenue in The Bronx.” The video reportedly shows Alcántara Rubiera’s last known movements inside her building.

 

DM Noticias had also released an earlier video of a press conference held in front of Alcántara Rubiera’s building, seemingly on March 5, with friends and family members. She was described as a young, Christian, Dominican woman. In the video, family / friends, holding missing person fliers with a photo of Alcántara Rubiera, are first heard saying in unison and in Spanish, “We are asking for the community’s support!”

 

A DM Noticias female reporter, standing alongside Alcántara Rubiera’s family, then says in part in Spanish, citing family sources, “What is curious is that the boyfriend of the missing woman has not demonstrated interest in the search for her.”

 

Later, the victim’s mother is heard saying in Spanish, “I don’t know if it was because he was desperate to see that she [Alcántara Rubiera] was actually moving out [of the apartment]. The red suitcase is not there. It’s a big red suitcase. So, I start thinking my God, yes, if he did something to her… my God!”

The worried mother continues, “You don’t see her when she leaves. You see him leaving empty-handed. On Thursday, she [her daughter] said, ‘Mommy, put me in your breakfast prayer. Mommy. Pray for me.’ I could see that the relationship…. no, it wasn’t very good. I mean, they were not arguing, but they were distant. He slept in the living room. She slept in the bedroom and when we went out, he would take us to church, but sometimes he would leave or sit in the back.”

 

Another female friend/family member is then heard saying in Spanish, “In January, after mom mentioned to me that she felt like I had mentioned to her that I don’t like that man [‘s boyfriend], she said, ‘Me neither’ but we’re going to ask the Lord to help us so he can go easy or she will leave when it suits her.”

 

The woman continued, “She has a space for herself with a curtain, where she sits to talk to God that was ripped up. The beanie hat she was wearing was on top of him now, so she didn’t have the hat on. She went out in her pajamas, just as she was, but where? Because that’s the issue. You don’t see in the camera of the building her coming out, only when she arrived on Saturday night going up the elevator.”

 

Another male family member/friend seen holding a mic in the video is later heard saying in Spanish, “Everything was in the house, her ID, the credit cards, everything. The only thing that was missing was her and her phone [and the red suitcase her mother mentioned]. He [the boyfriend] tells me that she was missing. Why did it take so much time to say something? I want to know why.”

Another man with a gray scarf, who appears to be Alcántara Rubiera’s father, is later heard saying in Spanish, “I want…. what I want is my girl to appear, and justice to be done. It’s in the hands of God and her authority that they do their job. But I want you to do justice.”

 

In another prior video shared by DM Noticias, Alcántara Rubiera, herself, is seen and heard speaking to her followers on social media. In it, she talks about the power of faith and an upcoming 4th anniversary event of her local Bronx church in which she encourages residents and followers to attend / join, adding in part, “You will not leave as you entered. God will bless and protect you.”

 

On the night of March 6, at Alcántara Rubiera’s home, several missing person fliers were seen posted outside and inside the building and candles were also seen outside on the sidewalk in a small box under another missing person’s flier.

The same night Norwood News observed a police van, sometimes used for the transportation of people, instead of a police car, located at the side entrance to the 46th Precinct stationhouse. It was later seen leaving the area.

 

We also observed a silver-colored car being towed in front of the station-house, and asked the NYPD if the car was being towed as evidence in the case. We did not receive a response.

 

We also reached out to a family member of Alcántara Rubiera for comment and will share any updates we receive. A vigil for the young woman was held outside her home on Friday night. More to follow.

FOX NEWS REPORTED on March 6, 2025 that missing Fordham Heights woman, Pamela Alcántara Rubiera, 26, was found on a highway near Yonkers earlier that morning. Video courtesy of Fox News

Earlier on Friday, Alcantara’s death was confirmed by her family via two GoFundMe pages which were set up by family/friends to raise money for the transportation of her remains to the Dominican Republic for her burial. They can be read here and here. One reads as follows:

 

“Dear family and friends, our hearts are heavy with the loss of Pamela Alcantara Rubiera. She is in our prayers and ask for her to be in yours including our family. We ask for your donation with the assistance of the burial and transference of Pamela Alcántara Rubiera to the Dominican Republic to be next to her younger sister. We appreciate any collaboration.” The message was repeated in Spanish. We have asked GoFundMe to confirm the authenticity of the links and they duly confirmed their veracity.

The second gofundme page reads, “Pamela was missing since Sunday, March 2, 2025. nypd was called and nothing we came out with fliers and spread the word. after 5 days for looking and everything we found her body. Her mom is going to want to take her back to DR. Please any thing would help.” We have reached out to the NYPD for comment on these remarks and will share any updates we receive.

 

Perez Diaz is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

 

In a separate case, the NYPD said that on the same day, March 6, at around 7.29 p.m. police responded to a 911 call regarding an aided woman at 810 River Avenue in the Concourse section of the borough. “Upon arrival, officers observed a 41-year-old female unconcious and unresponsive,” police said. “EMS responded and pronounced the aided female deceased at the scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death and the investigation remains ongoing at this time. The identity of the deceased is pending family notification.”

The Bronx DA’s domestic violence unit can be reached on (718) 838 6688.

 

As previously reported, the nonprofit, Freedom Youth NYC, has long been working to help survivors of both domestic abuse and human trafficking in The Bronx. Email Moniqueriley@freedomyouthfamilyjusticecenter.org or call (929) 612-3667 for more information.

 

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.