A Bayamón court judge on Thursday found probable cause for arrest on one charge against Nivea Arce Rivera, the Puerto Rico Police officer accused of running over 19-year-old Dyanelys Ortiz López in March. Probable cause was found on a negligence charge but not on a charge of leaving the scene of the accident, known as hit and run.
Arce Rivera was set a $10,000 bond, which she paid, and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for November 18. Ortiz López was struck on March 15 on PR-2 in front of the Virgilio Dávila public housing complex in Bayamón. According to the police report, the driver of a blue 2023 Toyota RAV4 was passing the spot and allegedly did not notice the young woman crossing.
Ortiz López suffered serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital and later referred to the Centro Médico. During the Rule 6 hearing, which lasted about two hours, the Public Prosecutor’s Office presented security camera videos, expert evidence and the young woman’s autopsy protocol. The investigation also included search warrants to obtain cloud-stored information related to the vehicle and work by the Cyber Crimes Division.
Arce’s defense argued that the officer went to the nearest police station after the accident once she realized what had happened, and that an ambulance was requested from the station to treat the young woman, so her lawyer argued she did not leave the scene intending to evade responsibility. The police superintendent said he ordered her summary suspension of employment and pay, effective immediately.