Teenage girl stabbed to death in Aibonito: mother and daughter charged with murder
Gabriela Nicole Pratts Rosario, aged 16, died after being stabbed following a party in Aibonito. A mother and her 17-year-old daughter face first-degree murder charges.
Mother and daughter accused of murdering teenager in Aibonito after summer party
Gabriela Nicole Pratts Rosario was 16 years old and one day short of turning 17 when she was stabbed nine times in the early morning of 11 August in the municipality of Aibonito, Puerto Rico. According to telemundo51.com, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice has accused Elvia Cabrera Rivera, aged 40, and her daughter Anthonieshka Avilés Cabrera, aged 17, of acting together to commit the homicide.
On the night of 10 August, Aibonito was celebrating the end of summer with a family party in the public plaza. When the event ended, several young people moved to Desvío Roberto Colón, a nearby area. It was there that a dispute began. According to some accounts, Gabriela's older sister was attacked and the young woman tried to defend her. What she did not anticipate was that someone was armed.
Elvia Cabrera and her daughter Anthonieshka allegedly acted in a coordinated manner to stab Gabriela. A friend who tried to protect her received three stab wounds and nearly lost a lung. Gabriela's mother attempted to reach her daughter but was held back by others present. At 12:15 a.m. the police arrived. Gabriela was taken to a hospital, where she died.
Arrests and charges
Both accused were arrested and face first-degree murder charges and violations of the Weapons Law. Each was assigned a bail of $1,000,000. Both pleaded not guilty and refused to make public statements. They are currently held in different prisons: one in Bayamón and the other in Ponce.
Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres affirmed that mother and daughter acted in "common agreement". She added that the minor will be tried as an adult, given that the first-degree murder charge permits this under current law. If found guilty, both could spend the rest of their lives in prison.
At the beginning of the investigation, six suspects were mentioned—four minors and two adults—but so far only Elvia Cabrera and her daughter have been formally charged. Authorities confirmed that the investigation remains open and do not rule out additional arrests.
Evidence and judicial process
Among the evidence collected are a sharp weapon, clothing with bloodstains and a vehicle owned by Elvia Cabrera, allegedly used to flee the scene. All material was sent to the Institute of Forensic Sciences. In addition, the residence of the accused's grandmother, where Anthonieshka lived, was searched. There are key witnesses pending testimony.
The preliminary hearing was scheduled for 25 August. The Department of Justice assured it has evidence "in abundance", including testimonies, forensic evidence and seized materials.
A crime that shook the entire island
Gabriela's funeral drew hundreds of people. She was held in wake at the Nu Delta Chi Fraternity in Aibonito, and buried in the La Paz del Señor cemetery. Her mother, friends and neighbours marched demanding justice in the streets of the municipality known as the "City of Flowers".
Gabriela's story went viral on social media beyond the boundaries of the town. Her teachers described her as a kind young woman, with love for animals and the desire to study psychology. The day of her death was the last Sunday before the return to school; she would have begun her final school year.
The Education Secretary revealed that Gabriela and her attacker had been friends. That detail, combined with the alleged active participation of a mother in the crime, widened the impact of the case. The Justice Secretary acknowledged the "collective outrage" generated across the island and reiterated that the investigation remains open.
What began as a dispute among young people after a celebration ended in the murder of a teenager who was hours away from her birthday, at the hands of people who, according to authorities, acted with organisation and with a weapon prepared beforehand.
Source: Google News PR — Crime