Neighbor: Victim's death 'hard for us to accept'
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By HILARY KINDSCHUH / Lincoln Journal Star
They’re just like family, the people living at 830 S. 10th St.
And when police knocked on Helen Hergenrader’s door early Tuesday to tell her Maria del Rosario Moreno had been killed, she felt as though she’d lost a daughter.
Hergenrader, 86, is caretaker of the red brick apartment building just south of the Hall of Justice. She said two other women from Mexico who live there are like daughters to her, too.
The victim: Maria del Rosario Moreno, 38, was found Tuesday morning in her apartment at 830 S. 10th St.
The accused: Moreno’s former boyfriend, Cesar Fermeli Penado, 36, was arrested Tuesday in connection with her death.
The charges: Penado has been charged with first-degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony and burglary.
The latest news: Penado was arraigned Thursday in Lancaster County Court. The judge set a percentage bond of $1 million, meaning he would have to pay $100,000 to get out of jail. He is in the Lancaster County Jail.
En español
Refiere a la edicion impresa del Lincoln Journal Star de hoy para leer una traduccion de esta historia.
Moreno, who lived in the apartment above Hergenrader, and the other two were the same age, 38, and they did everything together, Hergenrader said Thursday afternoon.
“All three of the girls are wonderful,” Hergenrader said.
When Hergenrader was recovering from shoulder surgery nine months ago, she said, “they dusted for me, they brought food, they brought flowers and everything.”
“Even my children, when they came here, they said, ‘Mother, those kids just love you, don’t they?’
“And I said, ‘Well, I love them, too.’”
Police believe Moreno’s former boyfriend, 36-year-old Cesar Fermeli Penado, forced his way into the building early Tuesday and tried to strangle her before using a knife to cut her throat.
Authorities say Penado’s relatives drove to the police station about 4 a.m. to say he was at his apartment near 32nd and O streets, threatening suicide. When police arrived at his place, they said, Penado was trying to hang himself.
They took Penado into custody, and in talking with him, officers became concerned about Moreno’s welfare. They went to her apartment, where they found her body in the bedroom.
Search warrants were filed Tuesday for Moreno’s apartment, Penado’s home, a car owned by Penado’s sister and Penado’s car. Police found two screwdrivers, a black tire iron, a single black hair, photographs and a large, blood-covered butcher knife, according to court documents.
“We were very, very close, so this is really a shocking deal for us,” Hergenrader said. “It is hard for us to accept.”
A few weeks ago, she said, Moreno’s car was vandalized. Moreno found her tires slashed one morning, and her rear window was broken out later, Hergenrader said.
When police asked whether Moreno wanted to request a restraining order against Penado, she said no, Hergenrader said.
On Thursday, when Penado was arraigned in Lancaster County Court, his family and friends sat on one side of the courtroom, Moreno’s on the other, as he was brought before Judge James Foster.
A woman sitting with Penado’s family cried silently, dabbing her eyes with a tissue as the charges were read: first-degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony and burglary.
An interpreter translated for Penado.
“Do you understand the charges against you and the possible penalties?“
Entiendo los cargos contra usted y los penas posibles?
“Si,” Penado said.
Foster set a percentage bond of $1 million and asked Penado whether he needed an attorney appointed to him.
“Si,” he said.
Penado is scheduled to be back in court for a docket call Oct. 11.
Both families were escorted out of the courtroom separately.
Later, Hergenrader sat in her cool apartment, grieving for Moreno, whom she knew as Rosa.
“It’s killing — I’ve cried a lot already,” Hergenrader said, breaking up a little bit. “It’s just like she’s my — those kids were so close to me that … it’s rough.”
Hergenrader said she also felt sorry for Penado’s brother and sister-in-law, who once lived in the building. She said she stood up for them at their wedding.
“They are beautiful, wonderful people,” she said. “I loved them so dearly when they lived in our apartment.”
Hergenrader said she thought Moreno might have met Penado when the brother and sister-in-law were living in the building.
There wasn’t anyone better or harder-working than Moreno, Hergenrader said.
She worked 50 hours a week at Affinity Production Co., where she packed bags of Weaver’s and store-brand potato chips, popcorn and cheese puffs into boxes.
“Every now and then in my chair … sitting in front of the door, there would either be a bag of potato chips there, or popcorn or something,” Hergenrader said.
Moreno was expecting to get U.S. citizenship in November, Hergenrader said.
“She said to me, ‘Helen, I’ll be a citizen. I have my own car, I have my own driver’s license.’
“And she said, ‘I have everything I need now.’”
Reach Hilary Kindschuh at 473-7120 or hkindschuh@journalstar.com.
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