Former mayor of Cuchumbaya beaten to death in Moquegua: three brothers detained for homicide
Armando Romero Torres was found dead on Saturday following a brutal assault attributed to three of his brothers, in an apparent dispute over agricultural land.
Former mayor of Cuchumbaya dies after brutal beating; family investigated for homicide
Armando Romero Torres, former mayor of the Cuchumbaya district in the Moquegua region, was found dead last Saturday after being attacked by three of his brothers, according to infobae.com. The three accused—Juan Luis, Alberto Julio and Justo Germán Romero Torres—remain in custody whilst the Public Prosecutor's Office advances its investigation for homicide.
The assault occurred on the roadside connecting the localities of Carumas and Sacuaya. Bystanders filmed the incident on video; those images were shared on social media and subsequently handed over to the authorities. The remains of the former mayor were transferred this Tuesday to Águeda Vizcarra cemetery in the city of Moquegua.
The Judicial Authority ordered five additional days of preliminary detention for the three brothers, following a request from the Public Ministry that sought a seven-day extension to continue with proceedings.
Dispute over agricultural plot at the origin of the crime
Investigations point to a family conflict over the possession of agricultural land. Although the family consists of eight siblings, the investigation focuses on three of them, identified as directly responsible for the attack. A sister of the victim told Radio Americana that she herself was assaulted along with her sister-in-law when they went to water their plots. She attributed the confrontation to a dispute over a plot that Romero Torres had acquired from their parents whilst they were alive, but over which other family members claimed inheritance rights. "My brothers have specifically become obsessed with that plot," she stated, though she said she was unaware of the precise reason for their claims.
The victim's daughter announced on the same radio station that she will request security guarantees due to fear of further assaults. "If they did that to my father, imagine who could be next," she warned.
Autopsy reveals extreme violence
The autopsy report confirmed the severity of the assault. Romero Torres had four fractured ribs, one of which was splintered with fragments that had apparently punctured one of his lungs, fractures in both legs, head injuries and wounds in various parts of his body. Perforations were also detected in the lower extremities which, according to initial assessments, could have been caused by a sharp or pointed object, possibly an iron stake. The defence attributed the death to massive internal bleeding caused by the combination of injuries. The ex-mayor's wife and a sister, who had also gone to the area to carry out agricultural work, were injured in the same incident.
Accusations against police and public prosecutor
Family members announced that they will file complaints against officers of the National Police of Peru for alleged failure to provide assistance, asserting that they requested their intervention before the incident without receiving a timely response. Moreover, they questioned that representatives of the Public Ministry took approximately ten hours to arrive at the scene to remove the body.
Romero Torres had served as mayor of Cuchumbaya and had a recent conviction of eleven years' imprisonment for driving a municipal vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Cuchumbaya is part of Mariscal Nieto Province, in the high-altitude Andean zone in the south of the country, a region characterised by rural communities and agricultural activity.
Source: Google News PE — Crime