Mother and son report threats and question freedom granted to assault suspect

Santo Domingo.- Ana María Marmolejos Alcántara and her son, Julio Elías Echavarría Marmolejos, went to the offices of De Último Minuto this Thursday to report that they fear for their lives following the conditional release of a man they identify as the alleged perpetrator of a robbery of which the woman was a victim approximately four months ago.

According to reports, the incident occurred in the vicinity of the Los Guandules Market, where Ana María works selling groceries. They stated that during the robbery, nearly RD$200,000 was stolen from her and that the assailant allegedly threatened her with a firearm.

Julio Elías Echavarría stated that the defendant, whom he identified as Víctor Manuel Mojica Pineda, was granted a conditional release, a decision he publicly questioned. Furthermore, he expressed his disagreement with the actions of prosecutor Yenibet Rivas, considering that the measure puts his mother’s safety at risk.

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The complainants also pointed out that they suspect there may be other people involved behind the assault, whom they link to conflicts over the sale of products in the market. However, these claims correspond exclusively to their version and have not been corroborated by the authorities.

Ana María Marmolejos stated that she continues to work at table number 105 of the Los Guandules Market, but she expressed fear of returning to her workplace due to possible reprisals.

“I fear for my life. I continue working because it is how I make a living, but I am afraid that they might hurt me,” he/she expressed.

For his part, Julio Echavarría called on the President of the Republic and the judicial authorities to review the case and guarantee his mother’s protection, while also requesting an investigation into the circumstances under which the accused was granted release.

So far, the competent authorities have not offered a public position regarding the allegations made by the complainants.