By Raul Castillo
30 Oct 2023, 9:45 PM EDT
Agent José Miguel Centeno Sánchez, who appears as a suspect in the murder this month of an elderly couple in Puerto Rico, committed suicide when the Police were going to search his residence this Monday, according to the EFE agency.
The Commissioner of Police, Antonio López Figueroa, explained that Centeno Sánchez took his life around 5:50 in the morning, just after the presence of members of the Criminal Investigation Corps and SWAT in his home was announced. .
According to information from EFE, in the course of the investigation, the Police ruled out possible suspects until focusing on the agent, who worked at the San Antonio barracks, in Aguadilla (west).
“Judge Orlando Avilés authorized a search and seizure warrant at his home in order to add evidence that would connect Centeno Sánchez to the crime,” López Figueroa added.
The facts
The victims, aged 83 and 77, were gagged and shot on October 11 in their residence, located in the Arenales neighborhood of Isabela (northwest).
Puerto Rican authorities indicated that the victims were blindfolded at the time of their death, according to local media Metro. In addition, those responsible would have disconnected the home security cameras.
Centeno Sánchez carried out repair work in the elderly couple’s home and was apparently like a godson to the victims.
The police chief described the murder as “vile” and assured that the suspected officer “was never a real police officer and does not represent” the force.
“For us, Centeno Sánchez was never a real police officer, and he does not represent any of our more than 11,000 police officers committed to protecting the lives and property of our citizens,” said the police chief.
The mayor spoke
The news has generated great attention from local authorities. The mayor of Isabela, Miguel Enrique “Ricky” Méndez Pérez, said in an interview with the Puerto Rican media NotiUno 630 that the police had “quite clarified” the case.
“He worked in the San Antonio command, near Aguadilla. “What we know about him is that he was a fairly quiet person,” the mayor said of the killer. “He was in the religion of Santeria is what they told me and apparently, the two old men who were murdered had this practice too. That’s why the agent visited them. But apparently he is part of a group of people. There is talk of more than one person in this case,” revealed Méndez Pérez.
Local authorities assured that the investigation continues.
With information from EFE.
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