The body of a woman found "hog-tied" and stuffed in the air conditioning vent of a downtown skyscraper has been identified as that of a missing cleaning woman, the New York City medical examiner said today.
Police found the body of Eridania Rodriguez on Saturday. She had been bound and gagged, and a gold crucifix was taped to her mouth. She had been missing since last Tuesday.
She woman discovered stuffed in the 12th floor air conditioning duct at 2 Rector Street. The medical examiner concluded she died from asphyxiation caused by the black and yellow construction tape that was wrapped around her head and face.
The tape held a gold crucifix to her mouth, cops said.
Rodriguez, a cleaning woman who worked at the building, disappeared six days ago. The building’s security tapes contained no footage of her leaving after her shift in the building on Tuesday.
The mother of three was the sister of professional bodybuilder Victor Martinez.
Her body was fully clothed except for her shoes, which had been placed neatly beside her. She was hog-tied and had a cross over her mouth, the report said.
Police have already questioned two men, but have released them both without charges. One of the men reportedly harassed Rodriguez. Family said she had complained about the man -- saying he watched her while she worked.
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An elevator operator who worked in the building remains under surveillance, police sources and published reports said. Her reportedly has a history of criminal behavior, including attacking a girlfriend's car with a bowling ball.
"She had been complaining about a guy at the building who made her kind of nervous," Ferreira said. "And she worked on floors that had been empty."
Built in 1909, the skyscraper has more than 400,000 square feet of interior space and rises 26 stories. Besides Studio Daniel Libeskind, the building's tenants include the architectural firm NBBJ, several law firms and, until recently, a division of the city's transportation department.
