Investigators are questioning a person of interest after Maria Pagan, 48, was found with severe head injuries inside her Erie Avenue home.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A 48-year-old mother was fatally beaten inside her North Philadelphia home, and investigators are questioning a person of interest as they work to determine what led to the killing, police said.
Maria Pagan was found unconscious with severe injuries to her head after members of her extended family went to the home on the 1200 block of West Erie Avenue, according to police. Authorities said Pagan was pronounced dead a short time later. Investigators determined that she had been beaten and said she died from blunt-force trauma to the head.
The investigation remained active Saturday, with authorities questioning a person of interest but releasing few details about that person or the circumstances that led detectives to the individual. Police had not announced an arrest or publicly identified a suspect. Investigators also had not recovered the weapon used in the killing, according to authorities.
The discovery came after relatives went to check on Pagan at the residence. Early in the investigation, police described the death as suspicious and said the woman had apparent injuries to her face and head. As detectives gathered more information, authorities identified Pagan and said the case was being investigated as a homicide.
Neighbors described Pagan and her family as familiar and well-liked members of the neighborhood. Angel DeJesus, who said he had lived nearby for seven or eight years, told 6abc that he had never experienced problems with the family. He recalled regularly seeing Pagan with her children and described her death as a tragedy.
William Huarcaya, who performs maintenance work for the property’s landlord, also told 6abc that he had interacted with Pagan and her husband over the years while making routine repairs at the home. Huarcaya said his visits involved ordinary maintenance issues and that he had not experienced problems with the family.
Neighbors said Pagan had at least two children. Authorities have not released further information about the family members who went to the home, and investigators have not publicly described a possible motive or the events that preceded Pagan’s death. Police also have not disclosed additional information about the person of interest being questioned.
The case developed from an initial death investigation into a homicide investigation as authorities learned more about Pagan’s injuries. Police said she suffered blunt-force trauma to the head. No further details about the weapon or other evidence recovered from the home have been publicly released.
Philadelphia police said the investigation was moving quickly, but additional details remained limited. As of Saturday, authorities had not announced charges or an arrest, and key questions about the circumstances surrounding Pagan’s death remained under investigation.
Author note: Last updated September 26, 2026.