Santiago prosecutors filed a request for coercive measures against six young men accused of the death of 9-year old Gioser Luis Feliz, and attempted robbery on Wednesday, 19 April 2023. The child died of a shot in the head during an attempted robbery while traveling in a vehicle from Santiago’s Cibao International Airport. The hearing for the preventive trial measures is set for Monday, 24 April 2023.
Police investigators say that the recent killing of the 9-year old upon arrival from New York for a spring vacation with his family on 19 April 2023 was an insider job. The child will be buried in New York, where his family lives.
Six persons were arrested, the last one, 32-year old Tomás Peña Morel (Tomacito) or Tomás Espinal Morel, is now suspect to have been the organizer of the assault carried out by young men ages 18 to 22. Tomacito had provided the insider information for the assault.
Tomacito had information that Sergio Luis Feliz, his spouse, a surviving child and their 9-year old son, the late Gioser Luis Feliz, were traveling to Montecristi with valuables.
Five youths driving in a rented car trailed the vehicle and fired when the driver did not pull over.
The media says that Tomacito was a close friend of many years of the father of the child. At the wake for Gioser, he told his friend to not speak to the press.
Others under arrest in the case are 18-year old Luis Ángel Vargas Brito,; 20 year olds Derlin Javier Mercado Martínez, César Junior Ulloa Cuevas; José Manuel Almonte Santana (Buki); and 22-year old Elian Martínez Sánchez (Odalis). The gunmen did not carry out the robbery and after the child was shot, they fled the scene, but were caught by the Police in the next 24 hours.
Rafael Guerrero of Corrupción gives insights into what could have been the motive and calls for enhanced security on the short road from the Santiago Cibao International Airport to the city of Santiago.
Read more:
Noticias SIN
Hoy
Listin Diario
Diario Libre
Corrupcion al Desnudo
El Dia
El Caribe
Diario Libre
N Digital
New York Post
NBC
24 April 2023