Preventative detention for two Venezuelans in connection with app-based taxi driver's murder in Usaquén, Bogotá
A judge ordered jail detention for two Venezuelan citizens, aged 18 and 20, accused of murdering a ride-share driver in El Codito, Usaquén.
Judge imposes preventative detention on two accused in conductor's murder in Usaquén
A guarantees control judge ordered preventative detention in a penal establishment for Assad Kenay Assad El Hawari Márquez and Snaider José Armas Pérez, two Venezuelan citizens aged 18 and 20, charged with the homicide of Juan Pablo Vargas Becerra, a ride-sharing platform driver. The facts occurred in the El Codito sector, in the locality of Usaquén, north of Bogotá, according to infobae.com.
The charges brought against both defendants include aggravated homicide, qualified theft, and illegal possession of firearms.
The crime: express kidnapping and execution
According to the investigation, the two accused requested a transport service from the city centre heading north. During the journey along Carrera Séptima, they intimidated Vargas Becerra with a firearm to force him to deviate from the planned route.
The driver was forcibly taken to the upper area of Usaquén, passing through Soratama until reaching El Codito. Security cameras in the sector recorded the moment he was forced to get out of the vehicle.
According to the material evidence, Vargas Becerra attempted to negotiate with his attackers: he asked them to take the car and his belongings and to spare his life. The request was not granted. The driver was shot dead whilst in a defenceless state.
Capture following pursuit in Usaquén
The police response was activated following a report of a person wounded by gunfire in public. Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Cháves, operational commander of Citizen Security No. 1, explained that the capture was possible thanks to patrols in the sector and information provided by the community.
"Thanks to the swift response by our attention zones in the locality of Usaquén, specifically in the Villa Nidia sector, we managed to capture two persons of Venezuelan nationality, who minutes earlier had stolen a vehicle from a person who, unfortunately, lost his life," the officer stated.
Following the crime, the suspects fled in Vargas Becerra's automobile. The authorities activated a containment plan throughout the Usaquén jurisdiction to block the roads in the sector. During the pursuit, the vehicle's occupants lost control and crashed into the median on Calle 183 with Carrera Séptima. They were captured there. A pistol with a magazine and five cartridges were seized from them, items that form part of the case's material evidence.
Hearing: third suspect unidentified
At the detention hearing held before the 70th Civil Municipal Court of Bogotá, the judge warned that the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence to infer that both defendants acted in coordination with a third individual whose identity remains unknown.
The court stated that "with a third person, about whom nothing is known at this time, they decided to carry out a theft and, as a result of this theft, a series of actions took place which led to the death of Mr Juan Pablo Vargas Becerra".
When assessing the risk posed by the defendants, the judge was explicit: "The conduct attributed to them not only affected the legal right to life and economic property, but that, by its specific method of execution, reveals a current and legally relevant risk to the community, since they allegedly used firearms and made threats before and after the victim".
Based on that assessment, the judge determined that both represent a danger to society and that there was a risk of non-appearance at trial, given the seriousness of the facts and the absence of ties to Colombia.
False identity and aggressive behaviour
Neither of the detainees provided verifiable information about their address or place of residence. In the case of Armas Pérez, the judicial official highlighted that at the moment of capture he presented false identification documents and false age—he claimed to be 15 years old and gave another name—which caused delays in the judicial proceedings. The judge also noted that it was necessary to restrain him and place him in handcuffs due to his aggressive behaviour during the procedure.
The detention measure in a penal establishment remains in effect whilst the criminal trial proceeds. The Office of the General Prosecutor is conducting investigations to establish whether more persons were involved and to identify the third suspect mentioned in the hearing.
Source: Google News CO — Crime