PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A 48-year-old woman was found fatally beaten inside her North Philadelphia home, and investigators are questioning a person of interest as the homicide investigation continues.
Police said Maria Pagan, 48, was found unconscious with severe head injuries after members of her extended family arrived at her home on the 1200 block of West Erie Avenue at about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday.
She was pronounced dead a short time later. Investigators said she had been beaten to death.
Neighbors described Pagan and her family as well-liked members of the community.
“I’ve been here for about 7-8 years now. They’ve been there since, and we had no problem with them,” neighbor Angel DeJesus said.
Authorities are questioning a person of interest, though no additional details were immediately released.
William Huarcaya, who performs maintenance work for the property’s landlord, said he had interacted with Pagan and her husband several times over the years while making repairs.
“I stopped by a few times for maintenance or whatever. An outlet, the fridge is bad, the stove, normal stuff, but I never had issues with them,” Huarcaya said.
Police say Pagan died from blunt-force trauma to the head. Investigators have not recovered the murder weapon.
Neighbors said Pagan had at least two children and expressed sorrow over her death.
“She’ll say hi, you know. See her all the time with her kids playing around. I sit over there, I drink my coffee, and I just think it’s a tragedy what happened to her,” DeJesus said.
Authorities said the investigation is moving quickly. No further information was immediately available.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.