Gang 'R7' sentenced to 13 years for kidnapping and beheading threat in Santo Domingo
An Ecuadorian court sentenced five members of the 'R7' gang to 13 years in prison for kidnapping a teenager and threatening to behead him.
Court condemns 'R7' gang for extortive kidnapping with beheading threat
A Criminal Guarantees Tribunal in the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas declared five members of the criminal gang known as 'R7' guilty, according to vistazo.com. The sentenced individuals—Alister Alberto M. M., Julio Eduardo G. J., Víctor Hugo G. I., Jairo Jonathan G. I. and Jonathan Rodolfo C.—each received thirteen years of custodial sentence for the crime of extortive kidnapping.
The night of 16 January 2023
The facts date back to the night of 16 January 2023, when three people transporting meat in a truck from the municipal slaughterhouse to the city centre were intercepted by the accused in the sector of the road to Las Mercedes. Armed with firearms, the gang members intimidated the victims. The driver managed to escape by throwing himself down a ravine towards the Toachi river; the other two people, including a 16-year-old adolescent, were beaten and unlawfully detained.
Torture and beheading threat
During captivity, the adolescent was subjected to repeated torture: his head was submerged in water on multiple occasions. The gang sent messages to the young man's mother demanding 8,000 dollars for his release, with a twenty-minute ultimatum. In the messages, 'R7' warned that if payment were not received, they would cut off the minor's head.
Rescue by Unase
The Anti-Kidnapping and Extortion Unit (Unase) of the National Police located the hideout using advanced investigative techniques. In a tactical intervention, officers rescued the adolescent, who was on the brink of death, and apprehended the criminals in flagrante delicto.
Evidence presented at trial
During the hearing, the prosecutor established the material existence of the crime and the responsibility of the accused with various pieces of evidence. Among these were the testimonies of the victims, the report of the forensic medical expert who examined the injured parties, reports from the Criminal Investigation Unit on the crime scene and the Unase rescue operation, as well as the transcript of distress calls recorded by ECU 9-1-1. Data extraction from the mobile phones of the accused also provided extortive messages sent to the victim's mother. Material evidence was also presented consisting of the restraints used to bind the kidnapped persons and the mobile devices seized.
Maximum sentence applied
The crime of extortive kidnapping is classified under article 162 of the Comprehensive Organic Penal Code (COIP), which establishes a maximum sentence of thirteen years of custodial deprivation. The five sentenced individuals received precisely that maximum sentence.
Source: Google News DO — Santo Domingo