City of Poughkeepsie Police believe they have caught Terry Wendover’s killer, but the question remains whether Roosevelt Avenue resident Juan Jorge Santiago-Toledo will be also be charged with the murder of Iris Rogers.
Wendover and Rogers were killed within blocks of each other on Main Street this past summer.
Toledo, 33, allegedly stabbed Wendover, who was 45, to death in the early morning hours of July 29. New evidence led to his arrest on Nov. 3. He was charged with murder in the second degree, a class A-1 felony.
Police have not ruled out a link between the two victims. “At this point there is no connection we can see between the suspect and Iris Rogers, but we’re not saying that’s the final answer,” said city police Det. Lt. William Siegrist. “The investigation (into Rogers’ homicide) is still open and active. We’re still following every lead.”
Murders a month apart
On July 29 shortly before 5 a.m., police received a call from a bystander who heard Wendover’s screams as she was assaulted in the parking lot of a Rite Aid drug store. Her body was found at 690 Main St., just around the corner from Toledo’s residence at 6 Roosevelt Ave. She was taken to St. Francis Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Stab wounds caused her death, but police would not release additional details on injuries sustained in order to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Toledo is an illegal immigrant from Mexico who worked at a restaurant. He lived in an attic apartment at 6 Roosevelt Ave. Another family member also lives in the building.
On June 21, Rogers, age 45, was found in a wooded area near Kennedy’s Fried Chicken at 472 Main St. Police are still seeking her killer.
The two victims shared similar lifestyles. Both had battled drug problems in the past, and both had been prostitutes.
Wendover was raised in Ancramdale and Amenia and was widowed when her husband was killed in a car accident, according to police. In addition to her three children, she is survived by her father, mother, three sisters and a brother.