Man wanted for sergeant and retired military officer's deaths shot dead in San Juan, Dominican Republic
Randy Tejada Valdez, alias "El Cojo", died in a confrontation with agents of the DICRIM in Villa Liberación, San Juan province.
Wanted man dies in shooting in connection with two homicides in Dominican Republic
An operation by the Central Investigation Directorate (DICRIM) in the Villa Liberación sector, San Juan province, ended on Tuesday 20 October with the death of Randy Tejada Valdez, known as "El Cojo", according to infobae.com. The authorities identified him as one of the alleged perpetrators in the murder of a non-commissioned officer of the National Police and in the death of a retired Army officer.
The National Police identified Tejada Valdez as a suspected participant in the homicide of Sergeant Major Pedro Luis Guerrero Ibis, who received a fatal gunshot wound during a robbery at the Gallera y Bar Higüero Abajo establishment, located in the Higüero sector of Santo Domingo Norte. The officer was off duty at the time of the attack. The investigation into that crime remains open and the institution continues to search for others involved.
Tejada Valdez was also subject to arrest warrant number 530-2024-EMES-00164, related to the death of Desiderio Pantaleón Ureña, a retired officer of the Dominican Army. Pantaleón Ureña died from gunshot wounds on 27 January 2024 in Villa Mella, municipality of Santo Domingo Norte. The case file includes charges of criminal association, robbery and homicide, according to the Dominican Penal Code.
According to the DICRIM's preliminary report, a patrol located Tejada Valdez in Villa Liberación and an exchange of gunfire occurred. During the procedure, agents seized a pistol and a homemade firearm that they attributed to the deceased. The Police did not report the calibre of the weapon, whether they were registered, whether they were sent for forensic examination, nor did they specify whether any patrol member was wounded.
The institution indicated that the man was wanted for his possible connection with other crimes, although it offered no additional details about those cases nor confirmed the existence of other identified suspects. It also did not clarify what specific role was attributed to Tejada Valdez in the robbery where Sergeant Guerrero Ibis died, nor whether there was a formal arrest warrant directly linked to that homicide.
The case falls within a period of increased deaths recorded during police interventions in the country. In September, 55 deaths were recorded in alleged gunfire exchanges, according to counts published on those operations. As of 13 October, at least 20 people had died in similar incidents during that month. In several of those cases, authorities indicated that the deceased were wanted for homicides, armed robberies, assaults and motorcycle thefts.
Source: Google News DO — Crime