On September 30, two inmates, Joel O. González Rodríguez, 22, and Yamil Rodríguez Andújar, 37, allegedly broke out of a cell at the Utuado Court and made it to the patio before being caught by two bailiffs. The men were at the court for a jury trial related to the December 9, 2024, killing of Kelvin Emil Maldonado Andújar, 28, outside the Mi Futuro business in Utuado.
According to the Police, González Rodríguez, Rodríguez Andújar, and a third suspect, Damián Maldonado Torres, allegedly acted together to shoot the victim multiple times and later burned the stolen vehicle used in the crime. The inmates allegedly damaged a door leading to the courtyard before being stopped by the bailiffs. On Friday, they were released from custody to face new charges at the Arecibo Court, where Judge Rafael Lugo Morales found probable cause for arrest and set a $200,000 bond for each.
They were then returned to the Las Cucharas correctional complex in Ponce. The case was investigated by Agent Félix Rodríguez Cortes of the Utuado Criminal Investigations Corps, in consultation with prosecutor Yamiliza Vázquez Cuevas, who presented the charges. A preliminary hearing is set for October 30.