19-year-old murdered in San Juan: his 16-year-old girlfriend is the main suspect
Gonzalo Quinteros died from a gunshot wound to the face in the 1° de Mayo neighbourhood, Chimbas. The autopsy redirected the investigation towards his teenage girlfriend.
Close-range shooting in Chimbas: autopsy points to 16-year-old girlfriend
Gonzalo Martín Quinteros Olmos, 19, was shot in the face on Monday night at his home in the 1° de Mayo neighbourhood, in the Chimbas department, San Juan province. The young man died minutes after the impact, in the presence of family members and his 16-year-old girlfriend. According to infobae.com, preliminary autopsy results shifted initial suspicions towards the teenager.
The incident occurred around 21:00 at a property located on Calle Proyectada, metres from the intersection with Laprida. Personnel from the 26th police station in Chimbas arrived at the scene and collected initial statements. Witnesses declared that a group of hooded individuals burst into the home, at least one of them armed, and that after firing a shot they fled the location.
The autopsy changes the course of the investigation
The forensic pathologist found an entry hole in the left maxillary region and an exit hole in the right lateral region of the neck. Sources with access to the case file, consulted by infobae.com, indicated that the projectile was fired at close range. The height of projectile entry was also considered by investigators to determine the height of the person who fired the weapon.
Based on these findings, the hypothesis of an attack by external assailants came under suspicion. Investigators suspect that the witnesses present attempted to conceal the teenager with the story of the hooded attackers.
Four raids and two women detained in the early morning
Prosecutors Roberto Ginsberg and Francisco Pizarro, from the Special Crimes Unit, requested orders for detention, search and seizure from the duty judge. During the early hours of Tuesday, four raids were executed simultaneously. Two women were detained in these operations: Quinteros's girlfriend and another adult woman. During the ocular inspection, a spent cartridge casing and a projectile were seized, along with other items of interest to the case.
At a press conference, prosecutor Pizarro confirmed the detentions before the autopsy results were known. "The people knew each other. We have one woman detained, a housewife, and the perpetrators of the incident, who would be aged between 19 and 20, would be identified," he stated. At that point, the main hypothesis was a settling of scores between acquaintances.
Pizarro also clarified that among those present in the home was the victim's girlfriend. "There was friction between the attackers and the victim. The young man was with other people at his home. There were minors and an elderly person. The victim's girlfriend was also there; she is 16 years old," he noted. He clarified that the detained adult woman had no criminal record, unlike the three suspects being sought at that time.
The case passes to the Juvenile Justice system
After midday on Tuesday, the expert findings modified the direction of the investigation. The conclusions pointed to the teenage girlfriend as the main suspect in the shooting that killed Quinteros. Due to the age of the accused, the case came under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Justice system.
At the crime scene, prosecutors Pizarro and Ginsberg worked alongside personnel from the 26th police station, members of the Scientific Police and the Special Crimes Unit. Quinteros's body was transferred to the Judicial Morgue for the formal autopsy.
Source: Google News PR — San Juan