Cab Driver Murderer Enters Guilty Plea

A Pawling man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of a well-known Brewster cab driver late last year.

Santos Vasquez-Ramirez, 28, admitted to the intentional killing before Putnam County Court Justice Anthony Molé, according to District Attorney Robert Tendy.

The victim, Aurelio Orbez of Danbury, Conn., was reported missing by his family to the Danbury Police Department on Dec. 1. Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Investigators, working with other law enforcement agencies, determined that Orbez, a taxicab driver, picked up Vasquez-Ramirez near the Brewster Metro-North Train Station on that day.

On Dec. 5, Orbez’s cab was found abandoned at the Purdy’s Train Station, and his body was recovered the following day from the Croton Falls Reservoir.

After a swift investigation, Vasquez-Ramirez was arrested Dec. 12. During processing, he reportedly admitted to engaging in a physical altercation with Orbez inside of his cab over a past unpaid fare, and to ultimately killing Orbez.

“The collaboration among agencies in this investigation in tracking down video surveillance, license plate reader footage, witness accounts, and other information was phenomenal,” said Tendy. “It was an around-the-clock effort on behalf of the entire sheriff’s office to put together hundreds of puzzle pieces that ultimately led to Vasquez-Ramirez’s arrest and plea of guilty. We hope that the hard work of all involved, and hearing Vasquez-Ramirez admit today in open court to the murder of Aurelio Orbez provides some comfort to the family and friends of Mr. Orbez.”

Vasquez-Ramirez is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 26, to an indeterminate term of 21 years to life in state prison. He is in the U.S. illegally and has a prior arrest from August 2025 for driving while intoxicated, but failed to appear in court and a warrant was ordered.