Representative Fernando Sanabria, who represents District 30 covering Arroyo, Guayama, Salinas and Santa Isabel, announced the filing of House Bill 1466, which would prohibit parole for people convicted of first- or second-degree murder to prevent their early release. The bill allows one exception: a minor prosecuted and sentenced as an adult for first- or second-degree murder, or attempted murder, under Law 146-2012 may be considered for parole by the Parole Board upon turning 25.
Sanabria cited the killing of Jennifer M. Torres Castro in Caguas in mid-2026, allegedly by Carlos Manuel Estefano Pino, a convicted murderer who he says abused the parole privilege. Estefano Pino has an extensive criminal record dating to his adolescence: he entered the correctional system in the 1980s after a conviction for femicide and other crimes, was first paroled in 1989, and two years later was charged with another femicide, returning to prison.
On June 24, 2026, Torres Castro, 36, was found without vital signs. During that investigation, Estefano Pino, then 67, was detained after missing a scheduled appointment with his supervising officer, violating his parole conditions, and authorities executed a search warrant at his home. The bill amends Article 3 of Law 118 of July 22, 1974, the Parole Board law. Sanabria also chairs the House’s Southern Region Committee.