Man attacks mother and nephew with machete in Utuado; shot dead by police officers
A 44-year-old man injured his 73-year-old mother and his 11-year-old nephew with a machete in Utuado. Officers shot him dead after he confronted them aggressively.
Machete attack in Utuado leaves two critically injured and attacker dead
A 44-year-old man attacked his 73-year-old mother and his 11-year-old nephew with a machete at a residence in the Viví Arriba neighbourhood in Utuado on Friday morning, according to elnuevodia.com. The alleged attacker, identified as Javier E. González Rivera, was shot dead after confronting officers from the Puerto Rico Police Department who responded to the call in an aggressive manner.
It was the boy himself who activated the 9-1-1 Emergency System to report the incident, which occurred at kilometre 3.6 of PR-605. Upon arriving at the scene, González Rivera confronted uniformed officers with the blade weapon in hand, according to the police report. The officers "had to repel the aggression and safeguard the safety of the victims," the official document states.
Two victims in critical condition
The elderly woman was transported to a hospital in the northern zone, whilst the boy was taken by air ambulance to a facility in the metropolitan area. Both are in critical condition, confirmed Lieutenant Lionel Romero, director of the Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) of Utuado.
"What I can confirm is that there are two victims injured with a blade weapon. The suspect died," Romero told this outlet in a telephone interview. The officer noted that it has not yet been possible to interview the elderly woman due to her state of health.
The motive for the attack remains unclear. "We are beginning the investigation," Romero said. Several family members appeared at the scene, but they also could not be interviewed because, according to the lieutenant, "they have not come to terms with what happened."
Mayor expresses dismay
The mayor of Utuado, Jorge A. Pérez Heredia, expressed that the events have left the entire community dismayed. "Our town is distinguished for being one that is peaceful and family-oriented, where acts of violence of this magnitude are not common," he stated in written remarks.
Pérez Heredia expressed solidarity with the victims and their family members, and announced that the municipal administration is available to provide support. "We trust in the work of the authorities and in the ongoing investigation allowing all the facts to be clarified," the mayor concluded.
Source: Google News PR — Crime