Santiago.– The First Collegiate Court of Santiago sentenced two men to 30 and 15 years in prison after finding them guilty of the murder of Ramón Eliseo Mercedes Meléndez, known as Adelin, during an incident that occurred in January 2025.
The sentence of 30 years was imposed on Héctor Yobani García Cabrera, alias Jovanny or Yoba, identified as the material author of the crime, while Ambiorix de Jesús Pérez Vargas, alias Jairo, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his participation in the case.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office investigation, one month before the homicide, García Cabrera had attacked the victim due to old personal conflicts. The first incident occurred on December 25, 2024, when Mercedes Meléndez was leaving her home in the La Mina sector of Hato del Yaque and was shot several times, one of which struck her in the left thigh. On that occasion, she managed to survive after receiving medical attention.
After the attack, the victim filed a formal complaint with the authorities. However, while García Cabrera was being sought for that incident, he allegedly planned the murder together with Pérez Vargas, which was carried out on January 25, 2025, around 11:30 in the morning.
Investigations establish that both were traveling in a car driven by Pérez Vargas until they located Mercedes Meléndez on La Rotonda street, in the La Mina sector. There, García Cabrera got out of the vehicle and shot him several times, causing his death at the scene.
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During the attack, Christopher Bernardo Castillo Torres was also injured, receiving a gunshot wound to his right ankle and being transported to a health center to receive medical attention.
Likewise, Anyara Estefanía Marte, an employee of a nearby lottery booth, was shot at while witnessing the event. One of the shots struck the establishment where she worked.
The investigation was led by prosecutor Cristina Ramírez, who filed charges for criminal conspiracy, murder, and attempted homicide, in accordance with several articles of the Dominican Penal Code.
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During the trial, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, represented by litigating prosecutor José Euclides Vargas, presented the evidence that allowed the court, composed of judges Juan Carlos Colón, Claribel Mateo, and Gladys de los Santos, to issue the conviction against both defendants.
