Doctor survivor of Trinidad attack arrested with three kilos of cannabis
Julio Roberto Alfred Cassab, colleague of murdered doctor César Reyes Parada, was detained after three kilos of cannabis were found in his bedroom in Trinidad, Beni.
Arrest of surviving doctor redirects investigation into Trinidad crime
The case concerning the murder of 69-year-old otorhinolaryngologist doctor César Antonio Reyes Parada, recorded in Trinidad, Beni, took an unexpected turn with the arrest of his surviving colleague. According to El Deber, the Special Crime Fighting Force (Felcc) of Beni found approximately three kilos of cannabis in the bedroom of Julio Roberto Alfred Cassab, who had been found bound in the same property where Reyes Parada died.
Colonel Jorge Yáñez, departmental director of the Felcc in Beni, stated that during the search of Cassab's room, two bricks of a substance with characteristics of cannabis were initially located. Later, in another area of the residence, investigators found a third package with similar characteristics.
The three packages were seized and placed at the disposal of the Public Ministry. Cassab was transferred to facilities of the Special Drug Trafficking Fighting Force (Felcn) to clarify his alleged involvement with the drug.
Yáñez explained that the discovery changed the direction of the investigations, although without ruling out the original hypothesis: "In the first instance, taking into account that a safe would have been stolen and the type of modus operandi, it was established that the motive for this incident would have been a presumed robbery. However, the obtaining of evidence and the seizure of these three bricks of cannabis meant that the hypotheses were changed and investigations redirected."
A missing safe and a murdered doctor
On Monday, 26 October, Reyes Parada was found dead in his residence in Trinidad. The doctor was 69 years old and was bound and gagged. The autopsy determined that he died from mechanical asphyxia by suffocation and presented injuries caused by blows.
In the same place Cassab was found, also bound at the hands and feet, though alive. He was transferred to Germán Busch hospital to receive medical attention.
One of the clues that initially directed the investigation towards aggravated robbery was the disappearance of a safe located in Reyes Parada's bedroom. The Police are still working to determine what it contained and who took it.
Reyes Parada was a recognised professional in Beni and had served as director of the Departmental Health Service (Sedes) in 2007.
Two lines of investigation open
With Cassab's arrest and the seizure of the cannabis, investigators must now clarify the origin of the controlled substance, determine if there is any relationship with the murder, and identify those responsible for the attack and the theft of the safe.
The Police are maintaining both lines of investigation open, while the Public Ministry will need to establish the corresponding responsibilities in the case.
Source: El Deber