Church caregiver murdered in Entre Ríos: woman arrested
Mariana Almeida, aged 57, was found dead after being beaten in an evangelical church under construction in Concepción del Uruguay. A woman has been arrested as the principal suspect.
Woman killed in evangelical church in Concepción del Uruguay: investigators examining "spiritual struggle"
Mariana Almeida, aged 57, was found dead on Friday, 16 October inside an evangelical church under construction located in the Los Cachetudos neighbourhood in Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Ríos. A woman identified as N.S. was arrested for the crime and is indicated as the principal suspect. This was reported by tn.com.ar.
The body was discovered in the morning by people who had arrived to work a security shift at the facility. Almeida, a resident of the Unión neighbourhood, participated in the care of the installations, where tools and construction materials were stored.
The mechanics of the attack
The chief of the Uruguay Department, Esteban Allegrini, indicated that the initial information pointed to a dispute that apparently escalated into physical aggression. When asked about the cause of death, the official stated: "Apparently from blows", although he clarified that forensic examinations would still need to be conducted to determine the mechanics of the homicide.
The investigation was placed in the charge of prosecutor María José Labalta, with the involvement of police and forensic personnel. The examinations seek to establish how the assault occurred and to determine the criminal responsibility of the detained woman.
The key testimony and the "spiritual struggle"
A 56-year-old woman, included as a witness in the case, declared that she had attended the church with another person to cover security shifts. According to her account, they received no response from inside upon arrival; when they entered, they found Almeida's body.
The witness stated that her companion had admitted to her of having beaten the victim with a stick. According to that version, the confrontation was linked to a conflict described as a "spiritual struggle" between the two women. The prosecutor in charge emphasised that this version is subject to investigation and does not constitute a judicially proven explanation of the crime.
The victim's daughter demands justice
Following the discovery of the murder, Mariana Almeida's daughter posted a message on social media in which she expressed her pain and rejected the versions that had begun to circulate about the circumstances of the attack.
"My mother was killed, she wasn't involved in anything strange", the young woman wrote, who described her mother as an "impeccable woman with unshakeable values".
The daughter also revealed that the family learned of what had happened through social media before receiving any direct communication. "How unfair it is that we found out through an Instagram post and checked that my mother hadn't come home", she stated.
In her post, she also questioned those responsible for the religious establishment and demanded that the place be shut down. "This cannot go unanswered", she said.
Status of the investigation
The suspect remains in custody at the disposal of the courts whilst investigators continue to collect evidence and statements. The courts will need to determine what happened inside the church, whether there was a prior dispute and what the concrete element used in the assault was.
Source: Google News UY — Crime