The Police announced yesterday, Thursday 19 March 2015 that eight people have been arrested in connection with the murders of deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Victor Santos and his 20-year old son Victor Manuel Santos in Cotui on 6 March. While the Police and national prosecutor initially suspected the crime was a contract killing, two weeks of investigations have led them to conclude that it was a planned robbery that was cut short after the victims were killed and the assailants fled. Nothing was stolen from the house. The police displayed the gun and the Toyota 4Runner used during the attack.<\/p>\n
The Police say that the gang had tried to carry out other failed robberies that same day in Cotui just before the Santos murders. After the shootings, the group headed to San Francisco de Macoris. The authorities showed footage from a security video camera installed near the scene of the crime.<\/p>\n
The men arrested in connection with the case are Nathanael Yoly Ozoria (El Mayor), Sergio Andres Santos, (Yontin), Aris Manuel de la Cruz Felix (Aris), Jose Oscar Familia Del Monte (Cali El Peluquero), Isauri de los Santos, who is accused of firing the shots that killed the father and son, and Yensi Rodriguez Torres (Jenser) who is said to have planned the crime. Luis Acosta Fermin, said to be the owner of the vehicle that they used, is also under arrest. Acosta was signed to play baseball with the Chicago Cubs for US$1.1 million in 2011, but was later released for bad behavior. <\/p>\n
The gang is accused of a series of robberies nationwide. <\/p>\n
Santos, a ruling PLD party pre-candidate for mayor of Cotui, was said to be close to President Danilo Medina. <\/p>\n
Dominican Lawyers’ Association president Diego Jose Garcia said the entity would represent the family in the case against the accused. Garcia urged the Police to continue investigating to establish whether any other masterminds might have been involved. Santos Hilario was a senior member of the lawyers association. <\/p>\n
The Police say that the victims were shot when they tried to resist their attackers. <\/p>\n
As reported, before the murders in Cotui, the gang tried to rob a local pharmacy. They are also accused of an armed robbery in Colmado La Urena (grocery store) on Las Americas Avenue in Santo Domingo on 14 March 2015, when a Haitian national was shot and injured, as reported in El Dia. <\/p>\n
The gang was arrested after Police trailed the vehicle used in the attack and its owner Luis Acosta Fermin confessed to his role in the armed robbery at the Santo Domingo grocery store and gave leads to the other gang members, which helped solve the Cotui crime. <\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.diariolibre.com\/noticias\/2015\/03\/19\/i1062691_polica-dice-que-mvil-del-asesinato-del-viceministro-fue-robo.html<\/p>\n