Five identified in murder of journalist
Mastermind declared a fugitive
SANTO DOMINGO. Five persons, among them a businessman indicated as the mastermind, are being accused by the authorities of committing the assassination of the journalist Jose Silvestre, who was kidnapped on 2 August when he was walking on a street in La Romana, and several hours later his body was found on a rural road at five kilometers from San Pedro de Macoris.
The Attorney General of the Republic and the Chief of the National Police reported during a joint press conference that Angel Amed Mañon Gutierrez, the first person arrested, was the person who together with three others kidnapped the journalist, who they killed when he resisted as he was being taken to Santo Domingo in an SUV.
Yesterday three men were arrested for the murder and identified as Johnny El Gallero and/or Junior la Presion, another whose nickname is "El Canario," and one know as Franklin "la Maquina."
The vehicle was rented at Javi Rent Car, located on Avenue Route 66 in La Caleta, Boca Chica, by Ana Milagros Hasbun Mercado, said to be the girlfriend of businessman Joaquin Espinal Almeyda (Daniel) and/or Matias Avelino Castro, the alleged mastermind of the murder.
A time table of the events shows that the investigative process established also that the SUV was later returned by Raysa Danelys Avelino, the daughter of Espinal Almeyda (Daniel), who was declared a fugitive.
The investigators established that Espinal was well known as a low profile businessman known as Joaquin Espinal Almeyda, who held the personal identification and voter registration card (a "cédula") Number 093-0065431-7 which says he was born on 02-04-1973, when his real identity is Matias Avelino Castro, ?cédula' Number 065-0003729-3 and he was born on 01-03-1971.
The Attorney General and the National Police say that the motive for which the fugitive Espinal Almeyda ordered the kidnapping of the journalist was because in the Edition 143 of the Magazine "The Hour of the Truth", from last July, which makes some direct indications against persons that could be related with bloody events of great importance which happened in La Romana.
The publication cites the death of Ramon Antonio Herrera (Momon), the owner of a beer joint known as Momon Super Frias, and of Hector Bienvenido Castillo ( Freddy or El Socio), where the reporter mentioned several suspects, among them "Daniel", the owner of a hotel in Samana.
The investigators established that Mañon Gutierrez, following the orders of his boss "Daniel", during the early dawn hours of Tuesday, 2 August, set out headed for La Romana in company of three other persons to carry out the criminal action.
The authorities stressed that the accused related how after they kidnapped the journalist Jose Silvestre and putting him in the SUV, in order to take him to the capital, he started to resist and he, Mañon Gutierrez, hit him with the Ranger revolver that he carried with an out-of-date license.
He said that even like that the journalist continued to resist and this caused them to shoot him mortally and then abandon his body.
Investigators said that the alleged mastermind, who is a partner in some businesses with the former Major League ballplayer Jose Rijo, is shown as the owner of the Gran Aparte Hotel Las Galeras, located in Samana.
He is also the owner of the company GM Publicitaria, located on Tercera Street at the corner of La Niña, number 2, in the Villa Casa sector, at Kilometer 9 of the Sanchez Highway, in the National District.
Moreover, they said that a search by the Scientific Police Laboratory carried out on the vehicle used to kidnap the reporter, turned up blood on the seats and under them that matched the reporter.
"Well paid is expensive"
The Deputy Attorney General Frank Soto, who was part of the investigative team, said that the investigators have three statements that indicate that allegedly Silvestre received money from drug traffickers.
"Silvestre in truth was kidnapped and murdered. Nonetheless, we have statements from people that told us that Silvestre, on occasions, received money from some of the drug trafficking groups."
He said that "there is one person that told us that he delivered RD$500,000 another that refused to deliver RD$50,000 and so on."
The Attorney General of the Republic and the Chief of the National Police reported during a joint press conference that Angel Amed Mañon Gutierrez, the first person arrested, was the person who together with three others kidnapped the journalist, who they killed when he resisted as he was being taken to Santo Domingo in an SUV.
Yesterday three men were arrested for the murder and identified as Johnny El Gallero and/or Junior la Presion, another whose nickname is "El Canario," and one know as Franklin "la Maquina."
The vehicle was rented at Javi Rent Car, located on Avenue Route 66 in La Caleta, Boca Chica, by Ana Milagros Hasbun Mercado, said to be the girlfriend of businessman Joaquin Espinal Almeyda (Daniel) and/or Matias Avelino Castro, the alleged mastermind of the murder.
A time table of the events shows that the investigative process established also that the SUV was later returned by Raysa Danelys Avelino, the daughter of Espinal Almeyda (Daniel), who was declared a fugitive.
The investigators established that Espinal was well known as a low profile businessman known as Joaquin Espinal Almeyda, who held the personal identification and voter registration card (a "cédula") Number 093-0065431-7 which says he was born on 02-04-1973, when his real identity is Matias Avelino Castro, ?cédula' Number 065-0003729-3 and he was born on 01-03-1971.
The Attorney General and the National Police say that the motive for which the fugitive Espinal Almeyda ordered the kidnapping of the journalist was because in the Edition 143 of the Magazine "The Hour of the Truth", from last July, which makes some direct indications against persons that could be related with bloody events of great importance which happened in La Romana.
The publication cites the death of Ramon Antonio Herrera (Momon), the owner of a beer joint known as Momon Super Frias, and of Hector Bienvenido Castillo ( Freddy or El Socio), where the reporter mentioned several suspects, among them "Daniel", the owner of a hotel in Samana.
The investigators established that Mañon Gutierrez, following the orders of his boss "Daniel", during the early dawn hours of Tuesday, 2 August, set out headed for La Romana in company of three other persons to carry out the criminal action.
The authorities stressed that the accused related how after they kidnapped the journalist Jose Silvestre and putting him in the SUV, in order to take him to the capital, he started to resist and he, Mañon Gutierrez, hit him with the Ranger revolver that he carried with an out-of-date license.
He said that even like that the journalist continued to resist and this caused them to shoot him mortally and then abandon his body.
Investigators said that the alleged mastermind, who is a partner in some businesses with the former Major League ballplayer Jose Rijo, is shown as the owner of the Gran Aparte Hotel Las Galeras, located in Samana.
He is also the owner of the company GM Publicitaria, located on Tercera Street at the corner of La Niña, number 2, in the Villa Casa sector, at Kilometer 9 of the Sanchez Highway, in the National District.
Moreover, they said that a search by the Scientific Police Laboratory carried out on the vehicle used to kidnap the reporter, turned up blood on the seats and under them that matched the reporter.
"Well paid is expensive"
The Deputy Attorney General Frank Soto, who was part of the investigative team, said that the investigators have three statements that indicate that allegedly Silvestre received money from drug traffickers.
"Silvestre in truth was kidnapped and murdered. Nonetheless, we have statements from people that told us that Silvestre, on occasions, received money from some of the drug trafficking groups."
He said that "there is one person that told us that he delivered RD$500,000 another that refused to deliver RD$50,000 and so on."
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