Woman accused of murdering Gabriela Nicole Pratts to be released under house arrest in Aibonito
Anthonieska Avilés, 18, will be released under supervised conditions before her trial for the murder of Gabriela Nicole Pratts in Aibonito. The judge granted the habeas corpus petition after more than 180 days in prison without trial.
Judge grants habeas corpus to woman accused of stabbing youth in Aibonito
Anthonieska Avilés, 18, will be released under supervised conditions in the coming hours, according to univision.com. The decision was made on Tuesday, 24 March by Judge Cristina Córdova of the Aibonito Court, who ruled in favour of the habeas corpus petition presented by Avilés's defence team.
Avilés is accused of the stabbing murder of Gabriela Nicole Pratts, which occurred between 11:40 p.m. on 10 August and 12:04 a.m. on 11 August of last year, at the Roberto Colón bypass intersection with PR-14 in Aibonito.
Over 180 days in prison without trial
The defence—comprising lawyers Rocío Revelles Ponce, Athelyn Jiménez Emmanuelli and María S. Sáez Matos of the Society for Legal Assistance in Puerto Rico—filed the petition on Friday, 20 March. They argued that Avilés had been imprisoned longer than the maximum of 180 days without being tried, a limit established in the Constitution of the Free Associated State of Puerto Rico.
Avilés was 17 years old when she was arrested on 19 August 2025, at approximately 7:00 a.m., at a residence located on Genazaret Street in the San Luis sector of Aibonito. Shortly before, authorities had detained her mother, Elvia Cabrera, in the El Coquí sector of the same municipality.
Conditions of supervised release
The granting of the habeas corpus petition does not imply dismissal of the charges. According to the Puerto Rico Court Administration Office, Avilés must comply with the following conditions:
- House arrest 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Electronic monitoring device to track her location.
- Custody assigned to a family member, who will guarantee her appearance at trial.
If the young woman breaches any of these conditions, she will be returned to the correctional facility in Bayamón. Jury selection in her case begins on Monday, 6 April.
Mother and daughter charged separately
Both Anthonieska Avilés and her mother Elvia Cabrera face charges of first-degree murder and violation of the Weapons Law. Initially, Judge Valery Téllez imposed a bond of $1 million on each, which neither could pay, so both remained in prison.
The judicial proceedings were separated. In Cabrera's case, represented since November by lawyer Mayra López Mulero, the jury has already been selected: 8 women and 4 men.
Testimony and forensic findings
During the preliminary hearing against Elvia Cabrera, several key witnesses testified. Miriathny Avilés, Anthonieska's half-sister on her father's side, stated that she had seen the accused stab Gabriela Nicole Pratts "once". Bethzaida Caratini, another prosecution witness, testified that she had seen Anthonieska striking the victim, who would have turned 17 on 12 August.
Gabriela Figueroa, described as the accused's "best friend", testified under oath that Anthonieska had confessed to her that she had stabbed 'Lela', the nickname by which Gabriela Nicole Pratts was known.
Forensic pathologist Javier Gustavo Serrano participated in both preliminary hearings. He stated that Pratts sustained 11 stab wounds, of which only one was fatal.
Questions over the role of other attackers
The prosecution maintains that Anthonieska Avilés was the only person who stabbed the victim. The defence, conversely, points to the initial incident reports, in which at least three fights were reported and the presence of numerous witnesses at the scene. During the trials, it could be clarified whether any other person also attacked Gabriela Nicole Pratts that night.
Source: Google News PR — Crime