Community / Crime & Safety

Police Contact FBI Over Killing of Carolina Teacher in Suspected Carjacking Attempt

Published Aug 31, 2026, 8:13 AM ASTvia El Nuevo Día

At a glance

  • The Police have contacted the FBI for assistance in the investigation
  • The victim was a 26-year-old special education teacher
  • Investigators believe it may have been a carjacking attempt

Why this matters: The murder of a teacher in Carolina puts a spotlight on the safety concerns in the area, particularly for residents and commuters who use the PR-860 road.

Puerto Rico Police say federal authorities may join the investigation into the killing of a teacher reported last Saturday in Carolina. Inspector Robert Ramos, interim director of the Police’s Auxiliary Superintendence of Criminal Investigations (SAIC), told Radio Isla 1320 that the Carolina Criminal Investigations Corps (CIC) has already contacted federal agencies to coordinate, with a meeting planned for August 31 to decide whether the FBI will assume jurisdiction.

The victim was identified as Sebastián Luicarl Martell Torres, 26, a Special Education teacher at Victor Parés Collazo School in Carolina. The incident was reported around 2:17 AM via a 9-1-1 call about a "suspicious situation" on Route PR-860. Responding units found the victim shot to death inside a vehicle in which his brother was a passenger.

Ramos said the FBI was contacted because preliminary investigation suggests it may have been an attempted carjacking: a vehicle pulled alongside, made gesturing signals, and then shots were fired. Investigators are reviewing nearby security camera footage. Ramos asked anyone in the area with information to call (787) 343-2020.

In context (787daily, from public data)

SourceEl Nuevo Día

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