US citizen found under concrete in Santo Domingo commercial premises; two arrested
The National Police arrested two men over the death of Andy Lousaint, 47, whose body was found sealed beneath a staircase in a Buenos Aires de Herrera commercial establishment.
Body of American found under concrete in commercial premises in Santo Domingo Oeste
The Dominican Republic's National Police detained two men accused as alleged perpetrators of the death of Andy Lousaint, a 47-year-old American citizen of Haitian origin. His corpse was located on 14 September around midday, hidden beneath a concrete structure inside a commercial establishment in the Buenos Aires de Herrera sector of Santo Domingo Oeste, according to infobae.com.
The arrested individuals are José Antonio Martínez Joseph, 41, and Juan Gabriel Marte Ramírez, 26. Both were placed in custody of the Public Ministry following investigations initiated after Lousaint's disappearance.
Disappearance reported on 10 September
Lousaint had been reported missing on 10 September, after leaving the apartment he rented in the country. According to the National Police, the victim had informed a close contact that he would meet with a man identified as Martínez at a shopping centre. He did not return to his residence following that meeting.
The person with whom he was staying contacted the individual with whom Lousaint was scheduled to meet. From that contact, the authorities initiated proceedings to locate him.
Corpse found at Martínez Fashion
The body was found in a commercial establishment called Martínez Fashion, dedicated to the importation of clothing bales and other commercial activities. Diego Pesqueira, spokesman for the National Police, described to the press that the corpse was "practically sealed beneath a staircase", covered with concrete, adhesive and other materials. Officers of the institution, together with firefighters and emergency services, proceeded to remove the remains.
The National Police stated in a statement that the body would have been transferred to the establishment after death occurred and hidden there in order to prevent its location. Although the corpse appeared in Santo Domingo Oeste, the investigation points to the homicide having occurred within the jurisdiction of the National District, which is why the case was transferred from the missing persons search unit to the Homicides Division of the National District.
One of the detained men allegedly admitted participation
According to the version disseminated by the authorities, Martínez Joseph allegedly admitted participation in the act together with Marte Ramírez, and allegedly declared that he caused a stab wound to Lousaint. Nevertheless, investigators clarified that the exact cause of death will be determined through an autopsy conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif), an examination that will determine whether the aforementioned injury proved fatal.
"This investigation is ongoing", Pesqueira declared to the media. The spokesman refrained from providing details about the sequence of events and noted that new elements could emerge in the coming hours.
Vehicles and telephones retained as evidence
As part of proceedings, officers retained three vehicles and six mobile telephones, among them some that belonged to the victim. These devices and other collected materials will be subjected to analysis to reconstruct Lousaint's movements prior to his disappearance and establish corresponding criminal responsibilities.
The detentions were attributed to the joint work of the Operational Department II of Investigation and Search for Missing Persons, the Homicides Division of the National District and the Public Ministry. The two detainees face arrest warrant No. 0148-SEPTEMBER-2026.
To date, the authorities have not reported whether they are seeking additional persons linked to the case or clarified what the motive for the crime may have been. The Public Ministry will continue with investigations before presenting formal charges before a court.
Source: Google News DO — Santo Domingo