On Friday, 24 November 2017, Martin Batista Ogando, the man the authorities suspect murdered 28-year old Geraldine Ivette Sanchez Baldera, turned himself in to the police at around 9:30pm. Hours earlier, the authorities had identified Batista as a “person of interest” and possible gunman involved in the death of Sanchez. In the afternoon, the Police had reported finding the SUV believed to have been in possession of the suspect. She had a two-year old boy with Batista.
According to the work companions of Sanchez, she had received a call when at work. She went outside and met with Batista in his SUV who had brought goods for their two-year old son and they discussed. She was shot dead.
Batista is being held at the Department of Criminal Investigations of the Police.
Sanchez was buried on Saturday at the Cristo Redentor Cemetery, only two km from where she lived in Los Girasoles neighborhood.
The late Sanchez had previously filed a complaint with the judiciary for violence exercised against her by Batista Ogando. The same court that had authorized his release on bail and a restraining order after the complaint for violence was placed. This time, Judge Jose Alejandro Vargas ordered one-year pre-trial custody at the Azua Jail. The judge told Batista he could expect a 30-year jail sentence.
The death adds to the femicide statistics in the Dominican Republic that according to the Intec Gender Center are 180.
Read more in Spanish:
7 Dias
El Caribe
Listin Diario
27 November 2017
