30 years in prison for man who carved his surname on victim's back in Santa Cruz
Denilson Zalles Guamán was sentenced to the maximum penalty for strangling his 18-year-old partner in a lodging facility in Santa Cruz. The court found him guilty following a trial hearing.
Convicted of femicide in Santa Cruz: carved his surname on victim with razor blade
A 23-year-old man received the maximum sentence of 30 years in prison without the possibility of pardon for the murder of his partner, an 18-year-old woman, in a lodging facility in Santa Cruz. According to El Deber, the First Court of Judgment, composed of judges Lucio Condori, Moisés Colque and Sandra Paredes, handed down the sentence on Friday following a trial hearing.
Denilson Niels Zalles Guamán and his victim, Xiomara Flores, had been in a relationship for two months when they decided to spend the weekend together. On 15 April 2025, when Xiomara attempted to leave the lodging to go to work, her partner assaulted her and strangled her. Investigations by the Public Prosecutor's office and Felcv agents revealed that Zalles Guamán remained at the location for two nights alongside the victim's body.
Using a razor blade, the convicted man carved his surname on Xiomara's back before leaving the lodging. He then contacted his family members to inform them of what had happened, and they handed him over to police.
Once detained, Zalles Guamán initially accepted an abbreviated procedure and received the same sentence of 30 years without pardon. However, before judge Lorena Añez, he denied the facts and requested a trial hearing. Judge Añez ordered his preventive detention in the maximum-security prison of Chonchocoro, in La Paz, as he was considered to be of high dangerousness.
The Public Prosecutor's office in Santa Cruz continued investigations and presented formal charges before the court, which after nearly 15 months from the time the accused was turned in by his own family members, upheld the maximum sentence provided for under Bolivian legislation.
Source: El Deber