Son among 3 charged after missing mom found dead in New Jersey home
MORRIS TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WABC) -- A missing woman was found dead in her New Jersey home Tuesday, and her 22-year-old son is among three people charged for allegedly hiding her body there.
Authorities say additional charges are possible in the death of 65-year-old Paula Chin, as investigators work to establish a timeline of events leading up to the discovery of her body.
She was reported missing Monday in New York City, where she also has an apartment, and located in her Morris Township home Tuesday.
Her son, Jared Eng, was taken into custody during the course of the investigation.
Additionally Eng's girlfriend, 21-year-old Caitlyn O'Rourke, and 18-year-old Jennifer Lopez were taken into custody in Manhattan.
The three suspects are currently charged with the concealment of a corpse, while authorities investigate if they were also involved in her murder.
Eng denied killing his mother as he was led out of the precinct, saying "I loved her very much. She gave everything."
Officials says Chin was last seen at her Vestry Street apartment in Lower Manhattan last Thursday and was reported missing by Jared's older brother on Monday at the 1st Precinct.
The investigative theory, according to sources, is that she was killed in the Vestry Street building, carried out of the building in a garbage bag, and left with the trash at her home.
Authorities believe it is the result of an apparent family dispute, likely over money.
The car believed used to transport the body to New Jersey was found parked near the apartment building.
Authorities say it appears her throat was slashed, but an autopsy will determine the exact cause of death.
According to the criminal complaint, Eng admitted to O'Rourke that he killed his mother and that it took her "a while to die." He allegedly enlisted the other two to take the body to New Jersey.
Prosecutors said they recovered video evidence from last Thursday at 12:50 a.m. of Lopez backing the car up to the Tribeca apartment. At around 2:31 a.m., someone puts a large duffel bag into the trunk.
O'Rourke allegedly admitted to washing the victim's clothes in a washing machine at the house, while Eng allegedly added the laundry detergent.
License plate readers revealed the vehicle made two trips to New Jersey -- last Thursday between 2:52 a.m. and 4:26 a.m., and then Friday between 1:37 p.m. and 4:48 p.m.
Detectives located the car parked near the Vestry Street apartment on Tuesday and said the trunk of vehicle had blood on the carpet and blanket, as well as clothing and duct tape.
Recovered in the Morris Township house were duct tape matching the tape recovered from the trunk, bloody rubber gloves in the garbage, and swabs of blood stains on the floor inside the garage of the residence.
Eng denied the killing during questioning, telling police he went to the house to retrieve his coin collection to pay his rent.
If anyone has any information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to call the Major Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office at 973-285-6200, or Morris Township Police Department at 973-539-0777.
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