The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offered a press conference this afternoon in relation to the kidnapping of a teenager and two other people, including the owner of the restaurant El Hipopótamo in Río Piedras, in which they confirmed that they have in their custody two of the suspects of the crime.
Joseph González, special agent in charge of the San Juan Office of the FBI, announced the indictment of Luis Aulet Maldonado, Geofley Jomar Pérez and Luis Cabán Nieves.
“Aulet Maldonado, Cabán Nieves and Pérez were charged through a complaint, issued by United States Magistrate Judge Marshal D. Morgan, for carjacking resulting in a death, kidnapping resulting in a death, unloading a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm due to events that occurred on October 31, 2021 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, “he said in a press release sent by the FBI.
These three individuals face charges for their alleged participation in the kidnapping of Jesús Francisco, a 15-year-old young man who was at the El Hipopótamo restaurant with the owner of the place and his nephew and who was murdered in the process.
However, only two of the defendants are in FBI custody. Geofley Jomar Pérez, who would be the leader of the group, is still at large. On October 31, a judge issued an arrest warrant against him after a probation officer identified him in a video that was released by federal authorities when they asked the population for help in identifying the suspects.
As reported, the investigation carried out by the FBI in San Juan, the US Marshals and the Police, surrounded Luis Cabán Nieves who ended up surrendering yesterday at the San Juan FBI Office. Later, Luis Aulet Maldonado turned himself in this afternoon.
The three defendants will be prosecuted by US Attorney Jonathan Gottfried of the Violent Crimes Section.
The FBI sent condolences to the family of the murdered teenager and thanked those who participated in the investigation, the media for disseminating the images of the videos of the suspects and the public for the confidences they provided.
In addition, González said during the press conference this afternoon: “This is just beginning. There are people identified and others to be identified ”and linked to the crime. “The best they can do is turn themselves in,” he added.
Regarding the two people who have already surrendered, he said that “they are part of the group of kidnappers. We are not going to go into details, but we do know (what they have done) “
The three defendants face life imprisonment or the death penalty, confirmed the head of the US Attorney’s Office in Puerto Rico, Stephen Muldrow, during the conference.
“It is a process. We have to evaluate the case and submit a recommendation, ”Muldrow said regarding which of the two penalties the defendants would face.
The three people kidnapped from El Hipopótamo were taken to a place in Caimito, while a ransom payment was being negotiated, which initially was greater than $ 200,000, an amount that dropped to $ 80,000 when it was delivered at dawn on Sunday.
When the kidnapping occurred, an employee had an exchange of shots with the criminals, in which the teenager was mortally wounded. Federal authorities refused to reveal who fired the shot that killed Jesús Francisco.
The body of the young man was abandoned early Sunday morning in front of a gas station on PR-1, in the La Muda sector in Guaynabo and nearby the merchant’s bus appeared burned.
Last Sunday, a team of divers was called to begin a search in the San José lagoon, in front of the Las Margaritas residential complex, in Santurce, where it is suspected that the individuals threw the weapons used in the crime.
FBI agents assumed the investigation and, according to versions obtained by EL VOCERO, the kidnapping occurred at 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, October 30.
The 83-year-old owner left the business with a 22-year-old who is part of his family and another 15-year-old son of an employee of the busy business on Muñoz Rivera Avenue, and they boarded a van to go to the houses of him.
Several gunmen in a 2020 Jeep Cherokee bus blocked their way and kidnapped them.
“Nothing can give us back a loved one, but tonight we provide a little closure to the victims of this terrible crime,” González said.
