Suspected killer of psychology student attacked in SJL arrested in Chiclayo
Jaime Laura Espinoza, alias 'Peter', was arrested in Monsefu accused of killing Flor Bolivar (20) to rob her of her mobile phone. The family demands life imprisonment.
Fled Chiclayo, but was caught with 71 packets of drugs
Jaime Brayan Laura Espinoza (22), alias 'Peter', was captured in the Poncoy human settlement, in the Lambayecan district of Monsefu, accused of murdering Flor Margarita Bolivar Pinares (20), a Psychology student, during a robbery in San Juan de Lurigancho. According to trome.com, the suspect had left Lima following the crime and was attempting to remain hidden in the northern region.
Officers from the Criminal Investigation Division (Divincri) of Chiclayo, under the command of National Police Colonel Luis Revilla Plasencia, carried out the operation that resulted in his arrest. A human source was key: they alerted the officers to the presence of a thin-framed individual who had recently arrived from Lima and who would be involved in a deadly robbery that occurred in the capital.
The same informant indicated that the suspect would be engaged in drug dealing in Monsefu. During a search, officers found in his possession 71 packets of basic cocaine paste, which led to Laura Espinoza also being investigated for suspected drug trafficking.
The attack: she resisted the robbery and was stabbed in the neck
The crime occurred in September, in the vicinity of the María de Nazareth chapel, in San Juan de Lurigancho. Reports differ on the exact date, indicating either 23 or 25 of that month.
Flor Bolivar was returning to the room where she lived after leaving a fast food outlet when the assailant intercepted her with the intention of taking her belongings, in particular her mobile phone. She resisted. The criminal responded by attacking her with a blade; cuts to her neck and left arm caused serious injuries and severe blood loss.
The young woman was left lying in the street. Despite attempts to save her life, she died as a result of her injuries.
Her sister Beatriz Bolivar reported that Flor remained several minutes without receiving assistance. "Nobody helped my sister. They called the Bayóvar Police several times, but they did not answer. My sister was in agony for more than half an hour," she declared through tears.
Cameras tracked him from the very beginning
Security cameras installed in the area proved decisive in reconstructing the suspect's movements. According to Bety Pinares, the victim's sister, the videos show that the individual arrived in a motorcycle taxi and remained several minutes in the vicinity of the establishment where Flor was, even though other people were passing through the same place.
The motorcycle taxi was later located and seized by investigators. According to police information, the suspect escaped aboard that vehicle—without a visible licence plate—and transported it to a garage in the La Victoria district, where it is believed it underwent modifications to hinder its identification.
"From the first day, the Canto Rey Depincri worked. Through surveillance cameras we went to the crime scene," stated Bety Pinares.
Family denounces cover-up and demands life imprisonment
The arrest of 'Peter' was received with relief by Flor's relatives, although the pain over the murder remains. Bety Pinares accused people close to the detainee of having helped him remain hidden after the crime. "The assailant's mother covered for him. His entire family covers for that individual. The commander went all the way to Monsefu to bring the person and we now have him in custody," she stated.
The family also points out that Laura Espinoza would have been apprehended on 14 previous occasions for suspected robbery and attempted murder. This information comes from family testimony and requires confirmation from the authorities, which will have to establish whether these are arrests, investigations or formally recorded antecedents.
According to Bety Pinares's account, the detainee is said to have acknowledged his participation in the murder and asked the family for forgiveness, claiming that he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the attack. Relatives question that explanation based on the movements recorded in the surveillance cameras, which—according to them—show behaviour that investigators will have to analyse carefully.
She was 20 years old and had come to Lima to study
Flor Margarita Bolivar Pinares was 20 years old and had come to Lima with the purpose of studying Psychology. Her relatives remember her as a young woman who sought to improve herself through her university education. Her life ended violently on a street in San Juan de Lurigancho.
Laura Espinoza is identified as the suspected perpetrator of the crime of aggravated robbery with subsequent death. The victim's sister demanded the maximum sentence. "I demand life imprisonment. I ask the judge to come down hard," declared Bety Pinares.
Source: Google News PR — San Juan