Gioser Feliz case: Prosecutor seeks 40 years for robber who killed 9-year-old boy in Santiago
The Dominican prosecutor's office has sought 40 years in prison for the person who fired the shot that killed Gioser Feliz in 2023. The sentence will be delivered on 30 June.
Prosecutor demands maximum sentences for death of boy Gioser Feliz in Santiago
The Public Ministry of the Dominican Republic formally requested on 5 June a sentence of 40 years in prison for the person who fired the shot that took the life of Gioser Luis Feliz, a 9-year-old boy of United States nationality. For the other co-defendants, the prosecutor sought 30 years in prison each, according to infobae.com.
The request was presented to the First Collegiate Court of Santiago, which has set the reading of the sentence for 30 June. In total, six men are implicated in the case.
The crime of 19 April 2023
Gioser Luis Feliz lived with his family in the county of El Bronx, New York. On 19 April 2023, he arrived at Cibao International Airport with his father and his father's partner, on what was meant to be a family holiday trip.
The vehicle in which they were travelling was driving along the Northern Ring Road of Santiago de los Caballeros when a group of robbers intercepted the car with the intention of carrying out a robbery. During the assault, a firearm was discharged. The bullet went through the glass and struck the child's body directly.
Gioser did not survive the shooting. His remains were repatriated for burial in New York.
The betrayal by the father's best friend
As investigations progressed, authorities determined that the mastermind of the robbery was Tomás Peña, identified as the best friend of the victim's father. Peña, according to the case reports, used his intimate knowledge of the family's movements to plan the assault and rob them of the money and belongings they were carrying from New York.
The defendant later claimed that he was unaware that his friend's son was inside the vehicle at the time they intercepted it. For the prosecutor's office and for broad sectors of Dominican society, that claim does not mitigate the criminal responsibility arising from a plan that resulted in the death of a child.
Hearings and evidence presented
During the trial phase, the First Collegiate Court heard testimony, evaluated ballistic expert reports and examined documentary evidence provided by the Public Ministry. The case generated widespread public outrage both in the Dominican Republic and among the Dominican community living in New York.
On 30 June, the judges will announce whether the sentences sought by the prosecutor are accepted, thus closing one of the judicial proceedings that has had the greatest impact on Dominican public opinion in recent years.
Source: Google News DO — Crime