District Attorney Tom Moran and Mount Morris Police Chief Gary Benedict at Monday's press conference. Photo by Michael Johnson

MOUNT MORRIS, NY — Mount Morris Police were called to a trailer residence at 322 Patio Lane early Monday morning to the scene of an apparent brutal murder.

Police Officer Ricky Garwood came upon the body of Sonia Valera, age 40, dead from multiple stab wounds.

Lebron-Morales

Charged with second degree murder is Valera’s boyfriend, Agustin Lebron-Morales, age 50, also of 322 Patio Lane.

The arrest was made at approximately 3 p.m., after Lebron-Morales drove to Rochester, entered the doctors’ office building at Highland Hospital with blood conspiciously on his clothing and requested that police be contacted.

Lebron-Morales was taken into custody by Rochester police without incident.

At the time of his arrest, Lebron-Morales offered no resistance to police has continued to be cooperative. He did not need medical attention. It is unclear to investigators why he went to the Highland offices.

Police estimate that Valera had died at about 4 a.m. Valera’s body was discovered slumped against the north wall of her bedroom, near the bed. The room contained no obvious signs of a struggle.

A folding knife, believed to be the murder weapon, has been recovered by police at a location in the trailer, but not near the murder scene.

The trailer home at 322 Patio Lane was also home to Valera’s 13-year old son, who retrieved his grandmother from a neighboring trailer after his mother failed to awaken at the appointed time for her work shift at Seneca Foods. Valera’s mother made the emergency call and Officer Garwood arrived at 5:16 a.m.

Lebron-Morales also worked at Seneca Foods, as did Valera’s mother. He is Puerto Rican and unable to speak fluent English. He has been interviewed by Spanish speaking members of the New York State Police. The content of his statements are not being released at this time, said Livingston County District Attorney Tom Moran.

Valera was from the Dominican Republic. The usual practice was for Valera, her mother and Lebron-Morales to ride together to work in the morning. Valera and Lebron-Morales had been living together at the Patio Lane address for the past six years.

Valera’s son, who speaks excellent English, was apparently asleep at the time of his mother’s death. He reported no audible altercation involving his mother and Lebron-Morales.

Mount Morris Chief of Police Gary Benedict, Jr. reported that a joint investigation with his department, the Livingston County Sheriff and New York State Police commenced immediately upon discovery of the crime.

Lebron-Morales is not known to have any pervious record of violent or other crime. Chief Benedict reported that officers had been dispatched to the Patio Lane address on previous occasions, but the incidents had not involved Lebron-Morales.

Murders in the Village of Mount Morris are rare occurrences. Chief Benedict could not cite a previous incident, advising that, “It has been more than 20 years.”

Lebron-Morales has been arraigned before Mount Morris Village Justice Walter Tripp on the murder second degree charge and remanded to Livingston County Jail without bail. He will appear in Mount Morris Village Court for a preliminary felony hearing this Friday at 10 a.m.

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