Two men charged in Union City murder in November killing

Two men charged in Union City murder in November killing
Courtroom stock photo

UNION CITY, N.J. – Two men have been charged in connection with the death of a 56-year-old man who was found unresponsive behind a building in Union City last November, authorities said.

Gerson Vasquez, 26, and Antonio Santiago-Jiminez, 34, both of Union City, face charges of murder and endangering an injured victim, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.

Vasquez was taken into custody by homicide detectives in Perth Amboy on March 6, while Santiago-Jiminez was arrested by Union City police on Bergenline Avenue on March 8. Both are being held at the Hudson County Correctional Facility.

The Union City Police Department was called to 23rd Street around 11 a.m. on November 14, 2024, where officers found Reynaldo Gonzalez unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:30 a.m.

The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled Gonzalez’s death a homicide, citing complications from blunt force injuries. The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit then took over the case.

Authorities have not released details on a possible motive.