DNA Analyst Testifies on Day 11 of Elvia Cabrera Murder Trial

A forensic DNA analyst took the stand on the eleventh day of Elvia Cabrera's trial for the murder of teenager Gabriela Nicole Pratts in Aibonito, describing how multiple supplemental reports were needed as new evidence kept arriving.

DNA Analyst Testifies on Day 11 of Elvia Cabrera Murder Trial

The trial of Elvia Cabrera for the murder of Gabriela Nicole Pratts entered its eleventh day Thursday with testimony from a forensic DNA analyst at the Aibonito courthouse.

Viviana Meléndez Vélez, a DNA analyst at the Institute of Forensic Sciences (ICF), took the stand as the prosecution's morning witness. She walked the court through the process of examining several pieces of evidence tied to the case.

During questioning by prosecutor Miriam Nieves, Meléndez Vélez explained that the investigation required numerous supplemental reports because new evidence kept arriving, forcing amendments to the original report. Before report number 10 was finalized, seven additional reports were generated related to three new pieces of evidence.

The samples analyzed included scrapings from the fingernails of both Gabriela Nicole's right and left hands, as well as an applicator lifted from the pavement. So far, the courtroom has not been told whose DNA those samples were compared against.

Another ICF employee is expected to testify later in the day.

Cabrera faces charges of murder and weapons-law violations. The jury hearing the case consists of eight women and four men, with six alternates available.

The killing happened around midnight on August 11, 2025, at the Roberto Colón bypass in Aibonito, when a fight between young women ended in a fatal stabbing attack on the minor.

Cabrera and her daughter were both found to have probable cause on all counts, and each was held on $1 million bail.

Source: Telemundo Puerto Rico

Source: Google News PR — Crime