Suspect Arrested And Charged For Weekend Murder In Cecil Co.

(PERRYVILLE, MD) – Maryland State Police homicide investigators have charged a man with the murder of a woman whose body was found in his apartment last night in Cecil County.

The suspect is identified as Sergio (nmn) Rodriguez Jr., 55, of Perryville, Md.  After consultation with the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office, he was charged early this morning with first and second degree murder and first and second degree assault.  Rodriguez has been taken to the Cecil County Detention Center for processing and an initial appearance before a court commissioner.

The victim is identified as Jimmie G. Porter, 43, of Perryville, Md.  Porter was pronounced deceased at the scene.  Her body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

Just before 7:30 p.m. yesterday, officers from the Perryville Police Department responded to an apartment in the 300-block of Broad Street, Perryville, Md., after receiving a call reporting an unresponsive woman found at that location.  Upon arrival, officers were met by a relative and friend of the victim who advised they had been looking for her after she did not report to work.  During their search, they checked this location, which was the apartment of the victim’s estranged boyfriend, identified as Rodriguez, where she had been living until recently.

Officers found the victim deceased, lying on the floor in the apartment with evidence of trauma to her upper body.  A request was made for the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit to respond and conduct the investigation.

Investigators from the Homicide Unit and the Criminal Enforcement Division responded to the scene, as did crime scene technicians from the State Police Forensic Sciences Division.  Search warrants were obtained and the scene was processed for evidence.  Items possibly used to assault the victim were recovered at the scene, but are not being identified at this time.  They will be transported to the State Police crime laboratory for forensic examinations.

Homicide investigators initiated a search for Rodriguez, who was not at the apartment when officers had first arrived.  Troopers learned that shortly before 8:30 p.m., Rodriguez had been stopped by officers from the Havre de Grace Police and arrested for suspected impaired driving.  Investigators responded to that department where Rodriguez was being processed for the DUI arrest.  Based on information developed and evidence collected during the preliminary investigation, State Police homicide investigators took Rodriguez into custody and transported him to the North East Barrack.

The investigation is continuing.

Sergio Rodriguez Jr.