Anthonieska Avilés pleads guilty to killing Gabriela Nicole Pratts in Aibonito
Anthonieska Avilés Cabrera accepted charges of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 38 years and one day in prison. Her mother is already serving 102 years for the same crime.
Guilty of murder: Avilés Cabrera receives 38 years for the death of Gabriela Nicole Pratts
Anthonieska Avilés Cabrera pleaded guilty on Tuesday to the murder of teenager Gabriela Nicole Pratts, in a turn of events that prevented the start of the trial scheduled in the Court of First Instance of Aibonito, according to metro.pr. The young woman was sentenced to a total of 38 years and one day in prison.
The agreement between prosecutors and defence established that Avilés Cabrera would plead guilty to second-degree murder and to a violation of the Firearms Act. The reduced sentence was distributed as 37 years and six months for the murder charge, plus six months and one day for the firearms law violation.
The agreement took shape on the morning of trial
The guilty plea occurred after prosecutors and defence were reported to be having conversations about a possible agreement at the time the trial was scheduled to begin. Once proceedings resumed, the judge heard from both sides, who confirmed the agreement reached.
The judge acknowledged having received three motions, including one for waiver of a jury trial. The defendant was sworn in and the magistrate proceeded to question her about the procedure and the implications of waiving a jury trial and pleading guilty. In most of the questions, Avilés Cabrera responded with a simple "yes" or "no".
"My mother is innocent": the convict's only words
Before formally declaring her guilt, the judge asked the defendant if she wished to address the court. Avilés Cabrera then stated that her mother, Elvia Cabrera—sentenced to 102 years in prison for the same crime—is innocent.
"I maintain that... my mother is innocent and all the witnesses in her trial have lied," were the young woman's only statements.
The victim's sister called for apologies that did not come
Lizmarie Torres Rosario, sister of Gabriela Nicole, then took the floor and addressed the courtroom with visible frustration.
"I at least hoped that they would regret Gabriela's death. Because of all these acts that she committed, even though Gabriela is not present, she deserves an apology. Or at least, that woman who is there, deserves to be asked for an apology," Torres Rosario said, referring to her mother, also present in the courtroom. "May God take care of everyone's heart and may time speak if it has to speak," she concluded.
Immediately after, the judge imposed the agreed sentence and instructed the bailiff to take the convict into custody. "Her admission is ordered," the magistrate pronounced.
She arrived at court in tears
Hours before pleading guilty, Avilés Cabrera arrived at court visibly nervous and in tears. Attorney María Soledad Sáez Matos described the emotional impact of the case on the defendant's family.
"It has been very difficult for this family from the beginning, and Elvia's sentence is still very recent. This is very deep pain for this entire family; it has been difficult even for us attorneys. So I perfectly understand how she feels," Sáez Matos said.
The crime occurred in August 2025 in Aibonito
The guilty plea comes just days after Elvia Cabrera, mother of Avilés Cabrera, was sentenced to 102 years in prison after being found guilty of her involvement in the murder of Pratts.
The case dates back to the night of 11 August 2025, when 16-year-old Gabriela Nicole Pratts Rosario died after being attacked with a bladed weapon during a brawl at the Roberto Colón bypass in Aibonito, following a summer closing activity. Another minor was also injured while attempting to help the teenager.
As a result of the investigation, the Department of Justice filed charges against Elvia Cabrera Rivera and her daughter, Anthonieska Avilés Cabrera, for first-degree murder and violations of the Firearms Act. Initially, Avilés faced proceedings to determine whether she would be tried as an adult; the court concluded that she was triable in adult jurisdiction.
In June 2026, the prosecutor amended the charges against Avilés Cabrera to specify that the teenager's death was caused by stab wounds and to add aggravating factors related to the Firearms Act, although it maintained that the theory of the case did not change.
The separate trial against Elvia Cabrera Rivera culminated in a guilty verdict and a sentence of 102 years in prison: 99 years for first-degree murder and 3 years for the Firearms Act violation.
Source: Google News PR — Crime