The 13th of October, the Judicial Office of Permanent Attention Services of Villa Altagracia ordered the preventive prison of Vicente Oviedo Beltré, accused of causing the death of Lucía Paulino Puello, a 62-year-old woman, in a case that developed in October 2023 and that has captured the attention of the Dominican society.
The persecution and arrest of the accused
According to the request of the Public Ministry, the judge Sudelgi Rosario Mena approved the coercive measure after the presentation of evidence by the litigating prosecutor Rosa Hernández. Oviedo Beltré, who had been fugitive for almost three years, was detained with judicial order on the same day of the hearing, which allowed his transfer to the Najayo Men’s Correction and Rehabilitation Center (CCR), located in the province of San Cristóbal.
The context of the homicide
The fact occurred on the kilometer 40 of the Duarte Highway, in the sector Las Batatas of Villa Altagracia. Oviedo Beltré lived with his wife and with Miguel Antonio Aponte Paulino, son of the victim. Upon noticing a discussion between the accused and his wife, the son attempted to intervene and, upon being confronted, attempted to attack Oviedo Beltré with a white weapon. The victim, Lucía Paulino Puello, died after receiving a stab wound in the chest with a knife while the son fled.
Investigation and charges
The multifunctional team composed of representatives of the Public Ministry, investigation agents of the National Police and a forensic doctor arrived at the scene at 2:00 a.m. on October 16, 2023. The corpse was identified with a stab wound in the chest. The Villa Altagracia Prosecutor’s Office qualified the fact as murder and requested arrest warrant number 498-2023, issued by the Instruction Court of the Judicial District of Villa Altagracia.
Legal implications and judicial process
The accused faces articles 295 and 304 of the Dominican Penal Code, which contemplate the penalty for murder, and articles 83 and 86 of Law 631-16 on the Control and Regulation of Arms. The district court prosecutors, José Andrés Fernández Javier and Eladio Angustia Marte, are in charge of the investigations and the process before the tribunal.
Social relevance and expectations of the authorities
The decision to keep Oviedo Beltré under preventive custody seeks to prevent flight, the risk of new violence or the possibility of the accused influencing witnesses. The measure is typical in cases of serious crimes and high public impact. The process will follow closely the development of the trials and the additional evidence that will be presented.
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