Three Men Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Shooting Death of Lawyer and Pastor

THE ROMAN.- The Public Ministry (MP) of the judicial district of La Romana managed to have the maximum penalty of 30 years in prison against three men whom he accused of having caused the shooting death of the lawyer and pastor Santo Cedeño del Rosarioby confusing him with another legal professional, in an event that occurred on October 17, 2018.

The Collegiate Court of La Romana handed down the conviction against the accused Felipe Valerio, Carlos Alfredo Rosario of Jesus (Supite and/or Pipe) and Nathanael of Jesus Severino (Naty), who were found guilty of causing the death due to gunshot wounds to the lawyer Cedeño del Rosario, who was also a pastor of a church in their community.

His death occurred while he was receiving medical care at a health center in the province of La Romana, where he was taken after being fatally shot.

The accusatory file indicates that at the time the incident occurred, the victim was aboard the white Mitsubishi vehicle, waiting for a minor son who was on a school campus.

It details that Valerio caused the death of Cedeño del Rosario with multiple bullet wounds, while De Jesús Severino was driving the motorcycle on which they were traveling at the time they committed the crime.

In addition, it states that Rosario de Jesús was the one who located, oriented and traced the route and place where the religious leader was.

Due to his connection to the case, Félix Antonio Martínez Valdez (Liquito) was also prosecuted and sentenced to acquittal, who, according to the accusation, was the person who, at the request of unidentified elements, contacted those currently being prosecuted and offered payment. of RD$200,000 to assassinate the lawyer Julin Cabrera, for which he gave him a photo of him.

It details that, upon contacting the named Rosario de Jesús, he began a process to locate Julin, and, by mistake, located the lawyer and pastor Santo Cedeño del Rosario, who was killed thinking that they had carried out the mandate to kill the lawyer. Julian Cabrera.

The evidence obtained in the course of the investigation, which was led by prosecutor Félix Alberto Rijo Sterling, was presented in the process, proving the facts. Rijo Sterling also joined the team that represented the Public Ministry in the litigation, which was also made up of prosecutors Héctor Alfredo de los Santos and Betty Josefina Polanco.

The evidentiary elements were accepted by judges Johan Polanco, Idenisse Catedral and Máximo Agustín Reyes Vanderhorts, who handed down the sentence.

Felipe Valerio will serve his sentence in the El Seibo public prison, while Carlos Alfredo Rosario de Jesús and Nathanael de Jesús Severino will serve it in the Cucama Correction and Rehabilitation Center (CCR), in La Romana.