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Man Arrested for Murder in Hatillo Incident

Published Jul 22, 2026 · via El Nuevo Día

Judge Alba Calderón Cestero of the Arecibo Tribunal found cause for arrest against Jerry Rivera Santiago, 65, accused of murdering José C. Román Medina, 52, in front of a pharmacy in Hatillo. The Department of Justice stated that prosecutor Ariel H.

Chico Juarbe filed two charges, first-degree murder and firing a firearm, against Rivera Santiago for the July 20 incident. Calderón Cestero set a $100,000 bail, which Rivera Santiago did not post. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 5.

According to the Arecibo CIC's Homicide Division investigation, Rivera Santiago, a licensed firearm carrier, allegedly opened fire on Román Medina at 2:00 p.m. in front of Farmacia Campo Alegre on PR-130. Emergency services received a call at 2:18 p.m. reporting an altercation and a person shot, and municipal police found Román Medina's body at the scene.