Santo Domingo.- Rosa Adela Tejeda de Santos came to De Último Minuto to report a situation that, she claims, has left her family in a state of vulnerability following an assault that occurred during the early hours of July 19th in the city of Higüey, La Altagracia province.
Tejeda recounted that she, her husband Rafael Santos, and their 15-year-old son were on the roof of the building where they reside when they were allegedly attacked with bats by a couple, whom she identifies as Julio Alberto Rodríguez Ávilas and Enerolisa Polo, known as Jeny.
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According to their version, the family had gone up to the rooftop to complain about a situation that, they claim, was affecting their rest and peace of mind. They explained that they had previously tried to resolve the issue through conversations and with the intervention of other people, but that the situation ended in a confrontation.
The complainant claims that the couple allegedly went up, each with a bat, and began beating her and her husband. Tejeda states that she received a heavy blow to the head that caused a wound requiring 20 stitches, in addition to suffering three fractures in one wrist and another injury to a foot.
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While she was on the ground, according to her account, the assault continued against her husband Rafael Santos, who allegedly received several blows that caused him four fractured ribs, eight stitches on his face, and an injury to one of his eyes that, she asserts, will require surgical intervention.
The woman also recounted that her 15-year-old son intervened to try to defend his parents. According to Tejeda, the teenager was struck in the face and received eight stitches. Subsequently, still according to her version, the minor was allegedly taken to an area of the rooftop during the altercation, which is why she fears they may have also tried to throw him from the place.
Given the gravity of the situation, Tejeda handed his cell phone to his son and asked him to go downstairs to call the 9-1-1 National Emergency and Security Response System. The teenager managed to reach a lower level and subsequently reunited with his parents.
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However, the complainant questioned the actions of the authorities after the arrival of emergency services. She asserts that, despite the fact that she, her husband, and her son were injured, all three ended up being detained and were taken in for questioning.
Tejeda also maintains that his son, being a minor, was transported between police stations handcuffed and on a motorcycle, a situation he described as irregular. According to his account, for several hours he had difficulty learning the teenager’s whereabouts and claims that even prosecutors did not know where he was.
The woman asserts that the case was subsequently handled as a brawl and that both she and her husband ended up being listed as defendants, despite the fact that, as she maintains, they were the ones who sustained the most serious injuries.
Tejeda identifies prosecutor Surielly De Guerrero Areche as the representative of the Public Ministry who allegedly classified the case and questions the coercive measure imposed on her and her husband. According to her version, in a hearing held last Friday, they were ordered to report periodically.
The complainant insists that there are medical certificates corresponding to her, her husband, and her son, documents which, she claims, attest to the injuries suffered during the incident.
More than a month after the incident occurred, Tejeda asserts that the physical consequences of the assault remain. She explained that she continues to receive therapy for the fractures in her wrist and that she may have to undergo surgery, while her husband will need to be operated on for the injury he suffered in one of his eyes.
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He also expressed concern about the aftermath his son may face, who, he claims, still has a visible scar on his face from the wound he received during the incident.
The woman also questioned the handling of the process by the Higüey authorities and alleged that behind the way the file has been treated, there could be influences and interests that have favored the other party. These statements correspond to her complaint and have not been independently confirmed.
Faced with this situation, Tejeda called on the Attorney General of the Republic, Yeni Berenice Reynoso, to order a thorough review of what happened and to supervise the actions of the Higüey Prosecutor’s Office.
“We feel totally unprotected,” stated the complainant, who insists that her family needs the case to be investigated objectively and that the injuries she claims she, her husband, and her minor son suffered be taken into account.
The family requests that the corresponding authorities review the file, the medical certifications, and the circumstances under which the events occurred to determine the corresponding responsibilities in accordance with the law.
Contact provided by the complainant: Rosa Adela Tejeda — 809-869-7289.
