SAN JUAN — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), reported this week that it will be offering a reward of $5,000 for information on the whereabouts of Geofley Jomar Pérez, one of the suspects for the kidnapping of three people in the restaurant El Hipopótamo in Rio Piedras, which culminated in the death of 16-year old, Jesús Francisco Pérez.
The FBI announced Wednesday at a press conference the indictments of Luis Aulet Maldonado, Geofley Jomar Pérez and Luis Cabán Nieves.
“Aulet Maldonado, Cabán Nieves and Pérez were charged through a complaint, issued by United States Magistrate Judge Marshal D. Morgan, for carjacking resulting in a death, kidnapping resulting in a death, unloading a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm due to events that occurred on October 31, 2021 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, “he said in a prepared statement issued by the FBI.
The three individuals face charges for their alleged participation in the kidnapping of Jesús Francisco, a 16-year-old young man who was at the El Hipopótamo restaurant with the owner of the place and his nephew and who was murdered in the process.
However, only two of the defendants are in FBI custody. Geofley Jomar Pérez, who would be the leader of the group, is still at large. On October 31, a judge issued an arrest warrant for him after a probation officer identified him in a video that was released by federal authorities when they asked the population for help in identifying the suspects.
According to reports, the investigation carried out by the FBI in San Juan, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Puerto Rico Police Department, surrounded Luis Cabán Nieves who ended up turning himself in on Tuesday at the San Juan FBI Office. Then, Luis Aulet Maldonado turned himself in on Wednesday afternoon.
The three defendants will be prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Jonathan Gottfried of the Violent Crimes Section.
The FBI sent its condolences to the family of the murdered teenager and thanked those who participated in the investigation, the media for disseminating the images of the videos of the suspects and the public for the confidences they provided.
In addition, Joseph González, special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Juan Office, said at Wednesday’s conference that “this is just beginning. There are people identified and others to be identified ”and linked to the crime. “The best they can do is turn themselves in,” he added.