Santo Domingo.– A judge from the Judicial Office of Permanent Attention Services of the National District imposed three months of preventive detention as a coercive measure against Juan Francisco Quezada Tolentino, alias “Pavel,” accused of planning the murder of a man that occurred in March of this year in the Los Ríos sector.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Quezada Tolentino is identified as the mastermind behind the death of Luis Alberto Méndez de la Cruz, known as “Nano,” who was shot on March 5, 2026, and passed away while receiving medical attention.
The investigation establishes that the defendant allegedly coordinated the crime together with Luis Ángel Sánchez de los Santos, alias “Boca”, and another man identified only as Jean Carlos, who remain at large.
In addition to this case, the Public Ministry identifies Quezada Tolentino as the alleged leader of a criminal structure linked to contract killings, arms trafficking, kidnappings, and extortion.
The measure was requested by prosecutor Héctor Sánchez, of the Homicide Department of the National District Prosecutor’s Office, and accepted by judge Ana Lee Florimón, who ordered that the defendant serve pretrial detention at the Correction and Rehabilitation Center (CCR-11) of San Pedro de Macorís. The review of the measure was set for October 12, 2026.
According to the case file, the alleged perpetrators arrived at the crime scene in a rented vehicle, entered the home where the victim was located, and shot them multiple times before fleeing.
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The authorities indicated that the investigations included the analysis of video surveillance cameras, witness interviews, and tracking the vehicle used via its GPS system, which allowed for strengthening the evidence against the defendant.
Quezada Tolentino was arrested on July 2, 2026, by judicial warrant and faces charges of criminal association, murder, and violations of Law 631-16 on Arms, Ammunition, and Related Materials.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office recalled that the accused is also facing another judicial process for a case of attempted homicide that occurred in May of this year in the Los Ríos sector, for which he was previously imposed with coercive measures consisting of a financial guarantee, periodic reporting, and a travel ban.
