Man Who Allegedly Killed, Burned Body In Union County Is Caught

PLAINFIELD, NJ — A Union County man was arrested near a U.S.-Mexico border crossing in Texas and charged with killing a Plainfield man and burning his body beyond recognition on Christmas Eve last year, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Plainfield Police Director Lisa Burgess jointly have announced.

Oscar E. Rodriguez, 24, is charged with first-degree murder and second-degree desecration of human remains in connection with the death of David Chacon, 42, also of Plainfield.

Just after 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020, Plainfield police went to an outdoor area near the 800 block of West Front Street in Plainfield where charred human remains were reportedly found, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Peter Benza, who is prosecuting the case.

Chacon was identified as the charred body by the Union County Homicide Task Force, the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit and Plainfield Police Department using DNA evidence.

Rodriguez was also identified as a suspect. He was criminally charged in February and recently arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents near a U.S.-Mexico border crossing in Texas, after which he was extradited back to New Jersey last week.

Rodriguez was ordered to remain in custody pending the adjudication of the case following a hearing held Monday in Union County Superior Court.

Rodriguez could face up to life in state prison on the charges.

"We are grateful for the collaboration from the many local and federal agencies who assisted our Office in locating and apprehending the suspect," Ruotolo said. "And we hope that this arrest can bring some small measure of comfort to all those grieving Mr. Chacon."

Anyone with information about this matter is still urged to contact Prosecutor's Office Sgt. Christopher Scuorzo at 908-472-0492 or Detective Ryan Kirsh at 908-347-1420.

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