By Patrick Donachie
REGO PARK—A Rego Park man was arraigned Saturday evening after police said he confessed to murdering his mother and dumping her body in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Roman Gorbunov, 21, was charged with second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, tampering with physical evidence and concealment of a human corpse, according to the criminal complaint filed by the office of Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
Police said Lyubova Gorbunova, 58, the mother of the accused man went disappeared from her home in Rego Park Sept. 27 at about 9 a.m. According to the criminal complaint, police said Roman Gorbunov struck his mother in the head several times, killing her, and then dumped her body in a lake located in Flushing Meadows. Police had been searching the park for the remains of the woman, and her body was recovered the morning the son was charged with murder.
The New York Post reported that cops began searching the park after an Uber driver tipped them off that he had picked up Roman Gorbunov at about midnight Sept. 29. According to the Post, the son was dragging a garbage can that allegedly contained the remains of his mother. The driver dropped him off inside the park after which he dumped the body in a lake inside of the park. Gorbunov was later picked up by police in Brooklyn.
The criminal complaint said police learned the details of the crime and the location of the victim after the son confessed to the murder. Police said they also recovered video surveillance and eyewitness testimony that would help to strengthen the case.
The DA’s office said Gorbunov could face from 25 years to life in prison if he was convicted. According to Brown, Gorbunov is scheduled to be back in court on Oct. 21.
A man also opened a GoFundMe page to raise money to assist Lorbunova Gorbunov, Lyubova Gorbunova’s daughter, in transporting her mother’s body from New York City to her native Uzbekistan for burial. As of press time, the page had raised $3,329 of a $10,000 goal. People can donate funds to the cause at https://www.gofun
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona
