Security guard killed in Santo Domingo restaurant: 13 years prison for attacker
A court sentenced to 13 years in prison the man who stabbed to death Santos Kléber López, a 61-year-old security guard, in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas. The family announced they will appeal.
Court sentences guard's killer Santos López to 13 years in Santo Domingo
On 2 June 2026, a court in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas handed down a 13-year prison sentence against the man found guilty of the murder of Santos Kléber López López, according to eldiario.ec. The victim, a 61-year-old private security guard, was attacked with a sharp bladed weapon on 28 June 2025 inside a restaurant located opposite Jelen Tenka park.
López was working at the food establishment situated between avenida Abraham Calazacón and avenida Río Zamora when the attack occurred. It was only his second day of work at that establishment. According to the case background, he had over 35 years of experience in private security work, including services provided at Plaza Wilson and other venues in the city.
Attack captured on security cameras
The crime occurred close to 23:50, when the restaurant was preparing to close. According to statements collected during the investigation, López went to the toilet to ask a man to leave the premises. Minutes later, employees and customers heard shouting and struggling, but no one managed to intervene in time.
Security camera footage showed the attacker striking López repeatedly inside the bathroom. He inflicted multiple wounds to the head, neck and chest before leaving the scene. When emergency teams arrived, they could only confirm the security guard's death. The images captured by the cameras contributed to the case generating widespread public attention.
Five months on the run, captured whilst voting
After the murder, the suspect fled and remained a fugitive for approximately five months. The investigation made it possible to locate him on 16 November 2025, the date on which he went to exercise his right to vote. Arrested at that moment, he was subjected to judicial proceedings which concluded with the judgment on 2 June 2026.
During the hearings, audiovisual records obtained by the restaurant's security cameras were presented as evidence. The case became one of the most closely followed judicial proceedings in the province owing to the gravity of the act and the impact it had on the citizenry.
Family rejects sentence and announces appeal
Despite the 13-year sentence, relatives of Santos Kléber López expressed their dissatisfaction with the ruling. They stated that the penalty imposed was not proportionate to the gravity of the crime. They therefore announced that they would examine the legal mechanisms available to file an appeal and request a more severe sentence.
The relatives reiterated their call for justice and highlighted López's track record as a worker committed to his profession for more than three decades. His death left his children, relatives and friends in mourning, who stated that they would accompany the process until all available legal channels have been exhausted.
Source: Google News DO — Santo Domingo