In Puerto Rico, five men face a total of 35 criminal charges for the murder of 27-year-old Guillermo C. Quiñones Olivera, which occurred in January 2025 in the Jardines de Las Marías residential area of Las Marías. The charges, filed on Thursday at the Mayagüez Tribunal, include first-degree murder and discharging a firearm under the Puerto Rico Penal Code, as well as crimes related to the possession and use of long firearms and discharging from a vehicle under the Weapons Law.
The accused were identified as Ricardo A. Torres Rodríguez, 25; José I. Román Irizarry, 28; Miguel A. Rodríguez Pacheco, 24; Noel Mercado Rosa, 25; and Christian O. Meléndez López, 28. According to the investigation, the crime occurred on the afternoon of January 26, 2025, in front of building A-15 of the residential area. The victim’s body was found inside a 1999 green Toyota Tercel.
The case was consulted with prosecutor Carlos Cáceres Valentín, who instructed the filing of charges. Judge Luis F. Padilla Galiano then determined probable cause for arrest and set a global bond of $7 million. The five defendants are also facing federal accusations for their alleged ties to the criminal organizations 'Los Baja Deos’ and 'La V'.
The investigation was led by agent Gabriel Cruz Izquierdo, under the supervision of Sergeant Duamel González Irizarry and Lieutenant Armando Morales Igartua, in collaboration with the Technical Services Division. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 29.