Two police officers involved in the crime of a man in Cuenca are called to trial

BASIN

The two policemen who were accused of participating in the crime of robbery with the death of a person in Cuenca were called to trial this Friday afternoon after a hearing held in Room 211 of the Azuay Judicial Complex.

Judge Luis Barahona determined that Second Sergeant Mario David N. and Second Corporal Cristian Paul A. would have an active participation in the murder recorded in August 2022 inside a house located on Manuel Vega and Presidente Córdova streets, in downtown basin.

One of the key moments of this investigation was when the relatives of Vinicio Bautista revealed a security video in which the uniformed officers were observed entering and leaving the place with some covers that they took to the patrol car.

In addition, in subsequent raids, evidence was found in their possession such as blood stains on their uniforms, a laptop, and a gold chain that belonged to the murdered man.

The pretrial hearing, which began at 5:40 p.m., took place in a hybrid manner, since on the one hand the judge, the prosecutor, and the defense attorneys were in the room, but the defendants and the legal defense of the victim joined virtually from a room at the Turi Deprivation of Liberty Center (CPL) and a private office, respectively.

They found a man dead inside a place that was going to inaugurate on Monday in the historic center of Cuenca

During the development of the hearing, the judge motivated his decision by mentioning that based on the elements collected and the testimonies obtained, the two agents did participate in the event that blinded the life of this citizen by stabbing him 53 times.

It was also exposed that between 05:05 and 06:25 on August 25, the two uniformed men entered the house four times and in a plastic bag that they placed in the patrol car they took shoes, underpants, a computer, a gold chain and a DVD.

Likewise, during the raids it was verified that the uniform and boots of one of them had blood stains that belonged to the victim. What’s more, one of them had a gold chain and an ID in one of his pockets, objects that belonged to the deceased.

For all these elements, the judge ratified the preventive detention that weighs on them and announced the order of appeal to trial.

After the decision, the lawyer Rómulo Argudo, defender of Cristian Paúl A., assured that in the next instance he will prove the innocence of his client because although he was at the scene of the crime, he did not participate in the event, especially when from his criteria it was not proved that he committed the crime.

For his part, Hugo Arroyo, police chief of the Cuenca District, assured that as an institution they want “justice to be done” so that the institution can be purged in this way.

As for his belonging to the Police, Arroyo confirmed that they are already out of it due to an internal administrative process.

The trial date was not announced by the judge at the end of the Hearing. (YO)