Pennsauken Man Charged With Murder in Gloucester Township

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article listed Rebecca Ugarte as being from Gloucester Township. She was from Pennsauken, but her death occurred at the home of the suspect's mother, in Gloucester Township.

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A Pennsauken man has been charged with murder in the death of his girlfriend in Gloucester Township, Camden County Prosecutor Warren W. Faulk and Gloucester Township Police Chief Harry Earle announced Wednesday afternoon.

Joshua Rivera-Santos, 21, was charged with murder in connection with the death of Rebecca Ugarte, 21 of Pennsauken. Ugarte was his girlfriend, authorities said.

She was reported dead in Rivera Santos' mother's home on the 100 block of Austin Avenue in Gloucester Township at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday by Rivera Santos' mother, Vivian Santos.

She was last seen alive on Monday night, and authorities believe Rivera-Santos killed her sometime before 7 a.m. Tuesday. That's when Vivian Santos, noticed Ugarte lying in the basement covered in blankets. She told authorities she believed Ugarte was sleeping.

She went to work, then returned home around noon on Tuesday. When she saw Ugarte was still in the basement, she questioned her son. 

She took the blankets off the victim and realized Ugarte was deceased. She then called police.

When officers arrived a cell phone charger’s wire was around Ugarte’s neck. An autopsy determined blunt trauma to the neck caused Ugarte’s death.

Rivera-Santos was charged around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. He is being held on $750,000 bail.

“On behalf of the Gloucester Township Police Department, I offer our condolences to the family of Rebecca Ugarte,” Earle said in a statement issued Wednesday. “Domestic Violence not only violates personal dignity and safety, but affects the community as a whole.”

Earle also highlighted the efforts Gloucester Township Police undertake to stem the damage done by domestic violence, and prevent violence from escalating.

The Gloucester Township Police Department currently offers numerous community based programs in an effort to assist domestic violence victims including victim counseling, the Family Violence Prevention Program, a Domestic Violence Response Team, and a Domestic Violence Advocate in the municipal court. 

Any resident who would like information about the domestic violence initiatives may call the Gloucester Township Police Department at 856-228-4500 or call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 856-227-1234.