Judge Eduardo Otero Ortiz of the Carolina Tribunal found cause for arrest against 30-year-old Stephanie Cruz Sáez, who allegedly assaulted a 70-year-old woman in Vieques. The incident occurred on May 6 when the victim attempted to serve Cruz Sáez with a civil case, and Cruz Sáez allegedly physically assaulted her. The Department of Justice stated that during the hearing, prosecutor Kristia J.
Díaz Pérez charged Cruz Sáez with mistreatment of an elderly person. Otero Ortiz set bail at $500, which Cruz Sáez paid, and she will remain free until the preliminary hearing on July 28. Secretary of Justice Lourdes Gómez Torres condemned the violence, stating that it is unacceptable to use violence in response to a judicial process, especially against an elderly person.
The Department of Justice will process this case with rigor and severity, as part of the government's public policy to protect elderly individuals.