Two accused in killing of youth in Soacha freed due to expiration of time limits
A judge ordered the release of two defendants in the homicide of Juan José Correa Guerrero, 17, after 320 days without a ruling being read in Soacha.
Judge frees defendants in homicide of teenager in Soacha after legal deadline expires
A judge ordered the release of Luis Franklin Castro Aroca and Juan David Navas Tovar, accused of the homicide of Juan José Correa Guerrero, 17 years old, which occurred in Soacha, Cundinamarca. According to elcolombiano.com, the decision was made on 28 October 2026 after it was established that 320 days had elapsed since the start of the trial without the ruling being read, exceeding by 170 days the legal time limit of 150 days.
The crime took place on 12 April 2025, following a dispute over the payment of 6,000 pesos for cornmeal porridge. During the altercation, the teenager received a stab wound to the chest that caused his death.
The trial had begun on 12 December 2025. The judge determined that the applicable time limit was 150 days and not 300, on the grounds that the victim's minority status did not automatically double that period. Upon adding up the days elapsed until the hearing on 28 October 2026, she concluded that the legal limit had been substantially exceeded.
Juan Castellanos, lawyer representing the victims, opposed the request for release during the hearing. The legal expert asked that 25 days be deducted from the counting of time limits, corresponding to a hearing scheduled for 20 March 2026 that did not take place, among other reasons due to a change of counsel for one of the defendants and the time the new lawyer needed to review the case file.
Castellanos maintained that those days should be attributed to the defence and not to the State, and that with that deduction the limit of 300 days would not have been exceeded, which in his view was the applicable time limit for deciding on release due to expiration of time limits.
The judge did not accept that argument. She explained that a change of counsel does not automatically constitute a dilatory manoeuvre, since the new counsel requires a reasonable time to become acquainted with the case file. She added that the Superior Court of Cundinamarca had several appeals pending on evidentiary decisions, submitted by the defence, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the representation of the victims, so the delays could not be attributed exclusively to the defendants.
The judge clarified that the release of the defendants does not imply dismissal of the case, as the criminal proceedings must continue.
Before the hearing, Juan José's mother had expressed her concern to Blu Radio about the possibility that the defendants would be released. The family asked that the process move forward to clarify the homicide.
Source: Google News CO — Crime