The San Juan Tribunal has acquitted Jeremy Serrano Alicea, who was charged with the murder of two Peruvian university students, Sergio Palomino Ruiz and Franco Medina Angulo, in May 2023. Judge Rafael Taboas Dávila found Serrano Alicea not guilty of all charges after the trial. The prosecution, led by the Ministry of Public Affairs, failed to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, according to Jean-Carlo Pérez Nieves, spokesperson for the Office of Court Administration.
The incident occurred on May 6, 2023, when the victims were shot while waiting for an Uber outside the Emo-Y Bar & Lounge on Loíza Street in Santurce. Serrano Alicea, 26, was arrested on March 15, 2024, at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and was held on $3 million bail, which he was unable to pay.
The case drew widespread public attention due to the victims being tourists and university students. The victims had traveled to Puerto Rico with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday when the attack occurred.