Florian buried as a "hero"
Called "The Leader", he was remembered as a good guy for helping people buy prescriptions or pay debts
Diario Libre
BARAHONA.- They buried him as a "saint" who will be resurrected with the Second Coming of Christ. In the middle of the eulogy, the crowd called out "Crime! Crime!"
And so, at 6:20 yesterday afternoon the limestone soil of a humble grave in the Don Americo Melo Cemetery in Barahona fell upon the casket that was now the last resting place for the former most important capo of the Dominican Republic: Rolando Florian Feliz.
Mothers, brothers, children (he had 15), mistresses, cousins, neighbors and the curious called for justice and asked for the death of Captain Lino Oscar Jimenez, who killed the capo during an incident that occurred last Saturday night in the Najayo Prison.
"He died like a brave man. His great sin was to fight for his dignity", said pastor Ronny Florian, a nephew of the deceased. In his eulogy, he considered his death to be "a vile act, cruel and probably planned."
Although at all times they refused to talk to the press, the few family members that did talk reiterated that they were persons of peace, forgiveness and not a family to hold a grudge."
Florian, 43, had served 15 years of his 20 year sentence. He had been transferred from several prisons and it was said that he kept up his business from the jail. His rebellious attitude was what, according to versions from officers at Najayo, caused his death, after he was ordered to end the visit of two women that had been there since 4:00 in the afternoon.
Dominica Florian, a cousin of the deceased, recognized that he could act badly with respect to the jailhouse rules, "but they didn't have to kill him for that."
Florian's last ride
His wake was that of a humble Christian. An old mini-bus drove the casket around the center of Barahona from 4:45 until after 5:30 p.m. the procession was the focus of attention. This will remain in the memory of dozens of people for years to come, and in the memory of children, young persons and adults that left their jobs and errands in order to see how they took Florian to his tomb.
His wake began on Sunday night in the "El Angel" Funeral Home. Beginning yesterday morning and well into the afternoon, hundreds of persons that arrived from Santo Domingo, Azua and other cities lined up to walk by the body.
"The end is what is important"
Duringhis youth, Florian was a youth leader in the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Barahona. At 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, the funeral home was "transformed" into a "church". Pastor Jeremias Medrano pointed out that "the most important thing for a person is not how one begins but how it ends".
His mother, Carmen Feliz, assured reporters that she would see her son in heaven. She said, "Yesterday (Sunday) we held a prayer chain and I felt peace."
The "Casanova"
During the wake, Florian's children and several of his "wives" appeared, and did not leave the side of the casket. One of them, a young woman apparently less than 25, cried until the end. Among the people it was heard: "15 years (in jail) for nothing." It was not known whether Daneris Mejia or Yury Lora, who were in the jail at the time of his death, were present.
Women tell of experiences in Florian Feliz' prison cell
A minor that accompanied the woman that was in the cell belonging to Florian Feliz related last night to Alicia Ortega of SIN News, that they had been in the cell since 2:oo p.m. and that both women had had sexual relations with the prisoner.
She said that her friend invited her to the jail, supposed to find some money, and she was doubtful when the other woman invited her to have sex with Florian. She told how when the jailer demanded that they leave the cell, Florian shouted, "Hold on, (expletive)"
In the confusion, she said, she saw Florian "with something in his hands", and she heard three shots.
Visibly nervous, the adolescent confirmed that the cell (which she called a room) had air conditioning and a big television.
At the end of the interview, the other woman came to the television channel, and confirmed that when she saw Florian wounded she started to cry, and when she went to look for help she realized that the door was locked from the outside and 25 minutes later an officer and two men came in and asked them to leave and called them a taxi.
She corroborated the version given by the minor that they heard only three shots.
She said that Florian was like a father to her because he helped her raise a daughter.
Regarding the alleged sexual relations, she limited herself to saying that she went out to the bathroom and did not know what happened with her companion.
She said that she had not been contacted by the Police, but that she was willing to tell her version of the facts, although she insisted that she saw nothing and that she was surprised when Florian entered the cell wounded. She said that Florian made two phone calls from his cell, one of them to his wife.
She said that she was scared.
And so, at 6:20 yesterday afternoon the limestone soil of a humble grave in the Don Americo Melo Cemetery in Barahona fell upon the casket that was now the last resting place for the former most important capo of the Dominican Republic: Rolando Florian Feliz.
Mothers, brothers, children (he had 15), mistresses, cousins, neighbors and the curious called for justice and asked for the death of Captain Lino Oscar Jimenez, who killed the capo during an incident that occurred last Saturday night in the Najayo Prison.
"He died like a brave man. His great sin was to fight for his dignity", said pastor Ronny Florian, a nephew of the deceased. In his eulogy, he considered his death to be "a vile act, cruel and probably planned."
Although at all times they refused to talk to the press, the few family members that did talk reiterated that they were persons of peace, forgiveness and not a family to hold a grudge."
Florian, 43, had served 15 years of his 20 year sentence. He had been transferred from several prisons and it was said that he kept up his business from the jail. His rebellious attitude was what, according to versions from officers at Najayo, caused his death, after he was ordered to end the visit of two women that had been there since 4:00 in the afternoon.
Dominica Florian, a cousin of the deceased, recognized that he could act badly with respect to the jailhouse rules, "but they didn't have to kill him for that."
Florian's last ride
His wake was that of a humble Christian. An old mini-bus drove the casket around the center of Barahona from 4:45 until after 5:30 p.m. the procession was the focus of attention. This will remain in the memory of dozens of people for years to come, and in the memory of children, young persons and adults that left their jobs and errands in order to see how they took Florian to his tomb.
His wake began on Sunday night in the "El Angel" Funeral Home. Beginning yesterday morning and well into the afternoon, hundreds of persons that arrived from Santo Domingo, Azua and other cities lined up to walk by the body.
"The end is what is important"
Duringhis youth, Florian was a youth leader in the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Barahona. At 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, the funeral home was "transformed" into a "church". Pastor Jeremias Medrano pointed out that "the most important thing for a person is not how one begins but how it ends".
His mother, Carmen Feliz, assured reporters that she would see her son in heaven. She said, "Yesterday (Sunday) we held a prayer chain and I felt peace."
The "Casanova"
During the wake, Florian's children and several of his "wives" appeared, and did not leave the side of the casket. One of them, a young woman apparently less than 25, cried until the end. Among the people it was heard: "15 years (in jail) for nothing." It was not known whether Daneris Mejia or Yury Lora, who were in the jail at the time of his death, were present.
Women tell of experiences in Florian Feliz' prison cell
A minor that accompanied the woman that was in the cell belonging to Florian Feliz related last night to Alicia Ortega of SIN News, that they had been in the cell since 2:oo p.m. and that both women had had sexual relations with the prisoner.
She said that her friend invited her to the jail, supposed to find some money, and she was doubtful when the other woman invited her to have sex with Florian. She told how when the jailer demanded that they leave the cell, Florian shouted, "Hold on, (expletive)"
In the confusion, she said, she saw Florian "with something in his hands", and she heard three shots.
Visibly nervous, the adolescent confirmed that the cell (which she called a room) had air conditioning and a big television.
At the end of the interview, the other woman came to the television channel, and confirmed that when she saw Florian wounded she started to cry, and when she went to look for help she realized that the door was locked from the outside and 25 minutes later an officer and two men came in and asked them to leave and called them a taxi.
She corroborated the version given by the minor that they heard only three shots.
She said that Florian was like a father to her because he helped her raise a daughter.
Regarding the alleged sexual relations, she limited herself to saying that she went out to the bathroom and did not know what happened with her companion.
She said that she had not been contacted by the Police, but that she was willing to tell her version of the facts, although she insisted that she saw nothing and that she was surprised when Florian entered the cell wounded. She said that Florian made two phone calls from his cell, one of them to his wife.
She said that she was scared.
Diario Libre
Continuar con Google