Tuesday April 4, 2023 | 8:15 a.m.
Four days after the death of the teenager Santiago Benítez (16), who died from a shot he received in the left armpit at the moment when he allegedly tried to enter and rob a house in the Villa Poujade neighborhood of Posadas with two accomplices , yesterday the police officer who is accused of shooting went through an investigative hearing before the Seventh Investigating Court.
This is Justo Horacio Bareiro, who works as deputy chief of the Central Radioelectric Command of the Regional Unit I and who yesterday morning chose to give his version of the facts before Judge Miguel Mattos, in charge of the investigation.
According to the data provided by spokespersons involved in the investigation, the uniformed officer indicated that he had to get up immediately the morning of the event, after his daughters warned him that criminals were trying to enter his in-laws’ house.
This last property is located in front of his home, on Calle 47 of the aforementioned capital neighborhood.
The event occurred last Friday morning in Villa Poujade. Photo: V. Paniagua
And he reiterated what he stated during the first intervention of the investigators, once the fact was known, that when he went out to see what was happening at his relatives’ house, he tripped while running in front of his house. And that in doing so, his service weapon was activated involuntarily.
Then he added that moments later as he walked around the block, he ran into the lifeless teenager on the sidewalk of his neighbors’ house, about 100 meters from his home.
After giving his version of the facts, Judge Mattos ordered that the policeman continue to be detained and ratified the provisional charge for homicide against the defendant.
On the other hand, within the framework of the progress in the investigation, the spokespersons consulted indicated that the expert reports of the National Gendarmerie are awaiting. And they indicated that a new inspection was carried out yesterday at the scene.
It is also awaiting the results of the paraffin tests that were carried out on the detainee and that seek to determine traces of gunpowder on his hands.
