A Salem man was charged Tuesday with murdering a mother of two, Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker and Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller announced.
A not guilty plea was entered for Pablo Vicente, 33, on a single murder count during his arraignment before Judge Holly Broadbent in Salem District Court. He agreed to be held without bail, without prejudice, and is scheduled for a probable cause hearing via teleconference on Sept. 8.
A search for the body of the victim, 20-year-old Nayeli Nieves of Salem, continued Tuesday afternoon. She was the mother of two children, ages 3 years and 18 months, and they were placed in the care of the Department of Children and Families.
Assistant District Attorney A.J. Camelio told Broadbent a relative of Vicente’s contacted a Lynn detective with whom he was acquainted and reported Vicente had told him he had killed Nieves and disposed of her body in a dumpster at their residence.
The Lynn detective contacted his Salem Police counterparts and officers found evidence at the couple’s home at 12 Pope Street, Salem, that corroborated Vicente’s alleged statement to his relative.
Salem Police and the Essex County District Attorney’s State Police Detective Unit later arrested Vicente and commenced the search for Nieves’ body. It continued Tuesday afternoon.
Vicente was represented for bail purposes by attorney Denise Regan of Salem.
In remarks to reporters afterward, both Tucker and Miller highlighted the persistent problem of domestic violence.
They directed anyone needing assistance to multilingual, toll-free, statewide, 24/7 domestic violence hotlines: SafeLink, 877-785-2020; HAWC, 1-800-547-1649; YWCA, 844-372-9922; and the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center, 978-388-1888.
