2022News

Family of David de los Santos urges missing police officer to be included in case

The family of the late David de los Santos has asked the Public Prosecutor’s Office to include a missing police officer in the indictment. Seven are under arrest for the brutal mistreatment that resulted in the death of the young man detained at the Naco police detachment. The case was postponed to 15 August 2022 during the preliminary hearing.

The mother and sisters of David de los Santos have complained about the lack of response to their request to include in the case the policeman from the patrol car who brought De los Santos from the Agora Mall after a confusing incident. De los Santos was taken to the police station to be investigated and should have been released that evening.

The family accuses the policeman of being the main responsible for the crime, and that he should be brought to trial. The family filed the request before the prosecutor in charge of the investigation of the murder of the young man but the motion has been ignored. The family’s lawyer, Máximo Peña, says the complaint was filed against the patrol officer who took David de los Santos to the Police station on 24 May 2022.

After hearing in court an appeal to the coercive measure against seven accused, the deceased’s relatives revealed that they had submitted the complaint against Police Corporal David Ortiz two months ago and that the prosecutor Kelvin Colón has not responded to their request and that the agent has not appeared either.

“There are many who are not in the case and who should be,” said Damiana Correa, mother of David De los Santos. The family cited agent Ortiz, to whom they attribute responsibility for the death of David de los Santos death because of a video in which he is heard telling the victim when they arrived at the detachment that “he was going to break both of his legs.”

Rosalys and Sujeidy Correa, sisters of the deceased young man, also believe that there are still people involved in the crime who have not been brought to justice. They say the backpack and cell phone of the deceased have never been returned to them.

This Monday, 25 July 2022, the judges of the Third Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeals of the National District postponed until 15 August the hearing of the appeal of the coercive measures against the seven accused for the murde. These include a police captain, a lieutenant, two police enlisted men and three civilians.

Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
El Dia

26 July 2022