A 33-year-old Cabo Rojo resident, Guillermo Rivera Mercado, was charged with allegedly killing another man with a kitchen knife during an argument on the night of Wednesday, September 30, in Villa Boquerón. According to Police, the incident occurred around 10:09 p.m. on Tamarindo Street, Parcelas #19, at the corner of Vinals. The Mayagüez Prosecutor's Office filed charges of murder under Article 93(a) of the Puerto Rico Penal Code and of carrying and using a bladed weapon under Article 6.06 of the Puerto Rico Weapons Law.
The investigation indicates Rivera Mercado allegedly argued with Luis Montalvo Montalvo, 41, and stabbed him in the left side of the chest with a kitchen knife. Montalvo Montalvo suffered serious injuries and died while receiving medical care at the Mayagüez Medical Center. The case was reviewed with prosecutor Yanitza Negrón Rosado of the Mayagüez Prosecutor's Office, who ordered the charges filed.
Rivera Mercado was then brought before Judge Noricelis Rosado Santiago of the Mayagüez court, who found probable cause for arrest and set a total bail of $600,000. Unable to post bail, he was confined at the Las Cucharas Correctional Complex in Ponce, where he will remain until the preliminary hearing, scheduled for October 15, 2026.
Agent Yahaira Vélez Soto of the Homicide Division led the investigation under the supervision of Lieutenant Mario Mass.