Young man "La Liebre" dies after confrontation with police in Barahona
Joel Féliz Cuevas, aged 19, died on Thursday after being wounded in a shootout with agents from the Dicrim in the Las Delicias sector. Police reported that the young man was wanted on multiple judicial orders.
Young man wanted for robberies dies wounded after shootout with police agents in Barahona
According to reports from listindiario.com, Joel Féliz Cuevas, known as "La Liebre", aged 19, died on Thursday morning while receiving medical attention at the Jaime Mota University Regional Teaching Hospital in Barahona, after being wounded in an alleged exchange of gunfire with agents from the National Police in the Las Delicias sector.
The Southern Regional Directorate of the National Police, based in Barahona, confirmed the incident and indicated that Féliz Cuevas was wanted through several judicial orders for his alleged involvement in multiple criminal acts, including robberies.
According to the preliminary police report, agents from the Southern Regional Subdirectorate of Investigation (Dicrim) and members of the Rapid Action unit travelled to the sector where, according to the institution, the young man was in hiding. Upon perceiving the presence of uniformed officers, Féliz Cuevas allegedly attempted to escape and fired several times at the agents, who repelled the aggression. The young man was wounded during the intervention and was immediately transported to the medical centre, where he died.
At the scene, a .380 calibre pistol was seized, with illegible markings and serial number. The institution reported that the weapon will be sent to the competent authorities for expert analysis and legal purposes, including determining its possible connection to other criminal acts.
Records from the National Police indicate that Féliz Cuevas had accumulated cases related to robberies from the years 2022, 2023 and 2025, on specific dates: 27 December 2022; 11 January and 23 August 2023; and 16, 17 and 20 December 2025. Among the acts attributed to him by the institution is also the alleged breaking and entering of an inhabited dwelling, where he allegedly robbed a woman of cash and supposedly assaulted her physically. Images of that incident were reportedly subsequently circulated on social media, according to police.
Investigations continue to establish the precise circumstances of the confrontation, the origin of the seized weapon and its possible connection to other cases. The Southern Regional Directorate reiterated that its actions are carried out in accordance with the law and with respect for fundamental rights.
The case occurs in a context in which police action in operations that conclude with the death of persons wanted by the authorities continues to generate debate in different sectors of society, particularly regarding the need for the circumstances of each intervention to be clarified through independent and transparent investigations.
Source: Google News DO — Crime