Three teenagers arrested over homicides in San Juan within less than a month
In 31 days, three crimes in Chimbas, Pocito and Jáchal left the Juvenile Justice system in charge of investigations involving detained teenagers.
Three homicide cases in 31 days shake San Juan's juvenile justice system
Three homicides in 31 days and three teenagers arrested: this is how tiempodesanjuan.com sums up the wave of crimes that between 14 September and 15 October forced San Juan's Criminal Justice for Minors and Adolescents to intervene in investigations into violent deaths in Chimbas, Pocito and Jáchal. The proceedings are advancing under strict confidentiality, as established by the special handling that the criminal justice system applies to minors with criminal charges.
The three files share a central characteristic: the age of the suspects imposes confidential handling of the proceedings. Whilst investigations seek to reconstruct the circumstances of each incident and determine individual participation, the arrested adolescents remain under measures ordered by the specialised judges.
Chimbas, 14 September: a 16-year-old girl charged in the death of her boyfriend
The first case had as its victim Gonzalo Martín Quinteros Olmos, aged 19, who died from a gunshot wound to the head inside his home in the Villa 1.º de Mayo area in Chimbas. The investigation initially considered the version of an attack carried out by masked individuals, but suspicion later fell on his girlfriend, a 16-year-old teenager.
The young woman was arrested and charged with her alleged involvement in the homicide. She is currently housed in a state facility under a deprivation of liberty measure within the juvenile criminal process. The investigation must establish the circumstances of the shooting and determine the degree of responsibility that corresponds to the suspect. Details of the file remain confidential as it involves a minor.
Pocito, 21 September: an adolescent arrested over the death of Uriel Ríos at a party
The second episode occurred in Médano de Oro, Pocito district, during a private party for Student Day. Uriel Ríos, aged 17, died after receiving a stab wound to the chest during a fight. His twin brother was also injured in the same altercation.
A 17-year-old adolescent was arrested for the incident and was housed at the Nazario Benavídez Institute, the establishment intended for young people in conflict with criminal law. The case is proceeding under the charge of homicide in a quarrel, according to information released about the file, although the determination of individual responsibilities will depend on the evidence gathered. The case prompted calls for justice from the relatives and friends of the victim.
The Justice system continues working to reconstruct the sequence of the fight and establish what occurred during the altercation that cost Ríos his life.
Jáchal, 15 October: a 17-year-old arrested over the death of Galleguillo
The most recent file was opened following the death of Germán Ismael Galleguillo, aged 24, which occurred on 15 October in Villa Mercedes, Jáchal. Galleguillo was wounded with a bladed weapon during a fight at a premises in the Tamberías area and subsequently died at Rawson Hospital in the city of San Juan, where he had been transferred due to the severity of his injuries.
A 17-year-old adolescent was arrested for the incident, and after his arrest was transferred to the provincial capital to be placed at the disposal of the Juvenile Justice system. It is estimated that he could remain housed at the Nazario Benavídez Institute, although this situation was not officially confirmed. The investigation will have to reconstruct the circumstances of the altercation and determine the suspect's participation in the assault that resulted in Galleguillo's death.
A judicial system in a period of adaptation
The three cases occur at a time of transition for San Juan's judicial system. The new national juvenile criminal regime is scheduled to come into force on 5 September 2026, and the specialised Justice system already faces concrete challenges: the treatment of adolescents with criminal charges, deprivation of liberty measures and accommodation conditions form part of the issues that the system will have to resolve within the framework of the new normative scheme.
For now, the available data allows establishing where some of the suspects are housed and what the main lines of investigation are, but it does not allow completely reconstructing the evidence gathered nor anticipating the rulings that the judges will adopt. The confidentiality of the proceedings aims to protect the minors involved whilst the cases advance to clarify the three homicides.
Source: Google News PR — San Juan