Lemuel Cruz Cruz, the 44-year-old man accused of murdering Alexandra Cardona Torrado, returned home after the man’s defense filed a “habeas corpus” appeal last Tuesday.
“He’s out but in lockdown, with electronic supervision, not that he’s free as such,” prosecutor Lisa Delgado Gonzalez confirmed.
As he explained, as is the case with every citizen, as per the constitutional provision, Cruz Cruz has the right to request his release if the trial is not conducted within a period of six months.
Delgado Gonzalez explained that the delay in the judicial process is due to the health conditions of the defense and other court cases.
The victim’s friend and key witness in the case, Adriana Rivera Andújar, is married to the defendant, which allowed the defense to invoke the protection of witness spousal privilege, the reason that she cannot be compelled to testify. Is.
Authorities arrested Rivera Andújar in the state of Florida on June 2, 2022, after appearing as a witness to Cardona’s murder, which occurred on June 24, 2020, in Arecibo.
Cardona Torrado was allegedly killed by Cruz Cruz, who was indicted in 2020, but his case was later dismissed. The man was arrested again.
In September of that year, prosecutors requested that charges be filed because the key witness—a friend of the victim—had moved to the United States and refused to testify.
However, the case was reassigned to prosecutor Yamil Zurabé, who restarted the process and found cause to be arrested in absentia for the murder of Cardona Torrado on April 22, 2022, on San Pablo street in San Rafael Urbanización happened.
The woman reportedly helped her friend, who was Cruz Cruz’s former partner.
The preliminary hearing is expected to continue this Friday at the Arecibo Court.
