Residents of Vieques are expressing outrage over the 18-month prison sentence given to Jeremy Randy Del Valle, a 34-year-old tourist from Virginia who admitted to causing the death of motorcyclist Carlos A. Cruz Morales, 39, and fleeing the scene. Del Valle pleaded guilty to causing Cruz Morales’s death while driving recklessly and negligently along the La Esperanza road on April 25, 2024.
did not receive the justice he deserved
An investigation by the Department of Justice established that the tourist was speeding when he struck the victim’s motorcycle and then abandoned the scene. Judge Alexis Álvarez del Valle, of the Court of First Instance in Fajardo, imposed a sentence of one year and six months in prison followed by six years of probation. The case took more than two years, and the sentencing hearing was postponed several times.
In interviews by the Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI), young Vieques residents questioned what they see as preferential treatment for tourists who break laws on the island, and resident Yamelia Díaz Carmona said Cruz Morales "did not receive the justice he deserved." Cruz Morales’s family also voiced dissatisfaction. Prosecutor Fernando Quintero explained that granting a mixed penalty was the court’s decision, even though the Correction and Rehabilitation Department report did not recommend probation, and clarified that Del Valle pleaded guilty without an agreement between the defense and the prosecution.