By: Richard L. Smith
A Middlesex County man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced for the 2022 murder of his former girlfriend, whose body was discovered inside a vehicle in Monmouth County.
According to a statement released by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, Jordan J. Vilcatoma-Correjo, 33, of Edison, received a life sentence plus an additional 10 years in connection with the death of 26-year-old Sonia Gonzales, also of Edison.
The sentence was imposed by Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley following a jury’s June conviction on charges of first-degree murder and second-degree disturbing human remains.
Prosecutors said the additional 10-year sentence will run consecutively to the life term.
Authorities said the investigation began on June 10, 2022, when Atlantic Highlands police responded to an area near Asbury Avenue, between Navesink and Grand avenues, shortly before 7:45 a.m.
Officers discovered Gonzales’ body in the backseat of a Honda Accord, concealed beneath garbage bags. Investigators determined that she had suffered strangulation and blunt-force injuries.
Vilcatoma-Correjo was found at the scene and immediately taken into custody.
In announcing the sentence during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Prosecutor Santiago emphasized the devastating impact of domestic violence on victims and their families.
He said that while no punishment can reverse the tragedy or eliminate the suffering experienced by Gonzales’ loved ones, the sentence represents an important measure of accountability.
Authorities reiterated their commitment to pursuing justice for victims of domestic violence.