Anthonieska Avilés sentenced to 38 years for murdering teenager in Puerto Rico
Avilés Cabrera, 18, pleaded guilty to stabbing Gabriela Nicole Pratts 11 times in Aibonito. Her mother is already serving 102 years in prison for the same crime.
18-year-old accepts guilt for the killing of "LeLa" Pratts in Aibonito
Anthonieska Avilés Cabrera, 18, pleaded guilty this Tuesday before the courts for the murder of Gabriela Nicole "LeLa" Pratts, a 16-year-old teenager who died after receiving 11 stab wounds during an end-of-summer party in Aibonito, in central Puerto Rico. This is reported by informador.mx.
As part of an agreement with the Public Prosecutor's Office, Avilés Cabrera accepted responsibility for second-degree murder and for a violation of the Weapons Law. The court imposed a sentence of 37 years and six months for the homicide, plus six months and one day for the violation of weapons legislation, for a total sentence of 38 years and one day.
The crime, which occurred in August 2025, generated strong shock in Puerto Rico. Avilés Cabrera faced the judicial process alongside her mother, Elvia Cabrera Rivera, 40, who had been convicted of first-degree murder weeks earlier.
Unanimous verdict against the mother
A jury comprised of seven women and five men from the Aibonito Court issued on 23 July a unanimous guilty verdict against Cabrera Rivera. The trial began on 1 May and extended over several weeks.
Several witnesses testified during the proceedings that they saw Cabrera Rivera remove a sharp object from her bag and hand it to her daughter Avilés Cabrera, before Pratts's death occurred. The attack took place in front of the victim's mother.
The Public Prosecutor's Office argued in July that Cabrera Rivera handed the object to her daughter, who repeatedly stabbed Gabriela during a fight. Cabrera Rivera was sentenced to 102 years in prison: 99 years for first-degree murder and three years for violation of the Weapons Law.
"My mother is innocent"
Upon appearing this Tuesday before the courts, Avilés Cabrera defended her mother despite her own guilty plea. "I maintain that my mother is innocent and all the witnesses in her trial have lied," she assured.
Puerto Rico's Secretary of Justice, Lourdes L. Gómez, explained in a statement the decision to reach an agreement with the accused in this second stage of the case. "Today we ensure that Anthonieska Avilés Cabrera pleads guilty and is held accountable for the crime of second-degree murder, with a sentence of 38 years and one day. This is a real and forceful penal consequence, accepted in court, before a judge. This decision is made out of responsibility," Gómez emphasised.
The official also noted that the welfare of the victim's family was a determining factor in accepting the agreement. "Returning to court to relive the circumstances of her death represents a difficult burden for a family that has already faced a first trial. We have spoken with Gabriela Nicole's family before making any decision," she asserted.
Source: Google News PR — Crime