Tuesday, January 17, 2023 | 5:00 a.m.
The three defendants for the homicide of Rolando Lara (24), who was stabbed on a public highway on Sunday, January 8 in the town of Montecarlo, were taken to the benches of the Investigating Court One of Puerto Rico to give an investigative statement before the judge in charge of the case, Manuel Balanda Gómez.
As El Territorio was able to learn based on sources with access to the file, at the hearing that took place last Sunday the three decided to give their version of the facts, although there were several temporary gaps to be reconstructed. As is known, those involved had the possibility of refraining from testifying without this being considered against them.
As this medium has been reporting, one of the detainees is a 21-year-old young man, who is the current partner of the mother of the victim’s children. From what has been reconstructed up to now, the young man is the main target and in his investigation he confirmed that he manipulated the weapon that took Lara’s life.
Before the judge, he reported that there was a strong discussion and a subsequent fight in the vicinity of Festcher Avenue and Santa Fe Street, a few meters from the access to the Henter neighborhood. He then said that at a certain moment the knife with which they stabbed Lara came into his hands, although he does not remember how.
He also does not remember having attacked the victim with that weapon, nor when he released it. As is known, despite the raids ordered by the Justice and the search by the Misiones Police, this element was not found.
Another who gave his testimony as a suspect was the father of this young man, who also confirmed that he participated in the fight, assuring that he did it to defend his son. Like the latter, he expressed that it was the victim who arrived violently at the scene and, armed, started the conflict.
Finally, the cousin of the main suspect declared, who was the first of those arrested for the cause but would be the one who is less compromised. The man said that he arrived when the fight was already taking place and that he intervened only when Lara was lying on the ground.
Always according to his testimony, in this instance he went to see how he was doing and it was then that his clothes were stained with his blood. It was precisely for this reason that the Misiones Police detained him a few meters from the crime scene, although the suspect has in his favor that the other defendants did not name him in the fight.
The three were charged with simple homicide and for the moment they will continue to be detained, while the judge hearing the case defines the two requests for the release of the defenses. The magistrate, as it was known, ran a visit to the prosecution chaired by Héctor Simón to find out his opinion and in the next few days there will be news.
Also during this week and the next, several people who witnessed the event and who have already testified at the police headquarters will be summoned. The advantage that the investigators have is that the event occurred on a Sunday afternoon, which caused many to be present at the mournful event.
These voices will be important to clarify the “blind spots” in the statement of the accused. In this regard, in this context, those who are in charge of the investigations do not rule out the participation of another person in the sequence.
According to what has been reconstructed so far on that Sunday, the victim, who was engaged in construction, was mobilizing on a motorcycle and after leaving her children, she would have had a problem with who her ex’s current partner would be.
The interdict that began in front of the woman’s house continued seconds later on the street. Both the victim and the other young man fought each other until they reached a corner in the same neighborhood.
What is known is that during one last struggle, Lara received the fatal blow. According to the autopsy, the injury was so strong that it damaged the heart. Furthermore, she had injuries on various parts of her body.
The confrontation occurred in an area where several motorists witnessed the event. Precisely a policeman who was passing by the place was the first to run into the deceased lying on the asphalt. A few meters away, he found the 28-year-old man who had blood stains on his clothes.
While the eldest of the suspects, uncle of the first detainee and father of the one who was the first to intertwine with Lara, was located a few meters from the place. The man had a strong blow under one of his armpits.
Finally, the alleged murderer appeared at the local police station and confessed that he had been involved in a fight, although he did not claim responsibility for the crime.
