Police seek three men for armed attack against patrol in Higüey

Santo Domingo.- The National Police identified and activated the search for three men identified as the alleged responsible for shooting at a police patrol on the Higüey-Yuma highway section, in an event where a sergeant major of the institution was injured. The wanted individuals were identified as Joaquín Antonio Rodríguez Matos, alias “Richard”, 34 years old; Carlos Ismael Lorenzo Severino, 33; and Jaime Leonel Ávila Peguero, alias “Chimbilín”, 29 years old, who are considered by the authorities as “highly dangerous” and allegedly armed. Police spokesman, Colonel Diego Pesqueira, reported that the incident occurred while agents were carrying out preventive patrol work in the Higüey-Yuma area, where they detected a gray Hyundai Sonata vehicle with a license plate that did not correspond to the car, a situation that aroused suspicion.

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“In that shooting, Sergeant Major Manuel Yohan de Aza was shot in the neck,” Pesqueira explained. According to the preliminary report, the occupants of the vehicle opened fire on the officers when they tried to stop them for verification purposes, impacting both the enlisted person and the police unit before fleeing the scene. During the raid carried out by members of the DICRIM, Scientific Police and the Public Ministry, several pieces of evidence were collected, including 9-millimeter caliber casings, tools allegedly used in criminal activities, gloves, a balaclava, and license plates. The investigations also established that the license plate on the vehicle did not correspond to the car used in the attack. The National Police urged those identified to turn themselves in through the means they deem appropriate, while search and location efforts continue.