69-year-old man reports neighbor attacked him with shovel in Maunabo
The victim sustained an injury to his left forearm and was allegedly threatened with death while doing construction work on Wednesday.
File photoThe short version
- El Nuevo Día reports a 69-year-old man was injured in his left forearm after a 45-year-old neighbor allegedly struck him with a cutting shovel in Parcelas Nuevas, barrio Palo Seco
- Metro Puerto Rico states the incident occurred around 11:23 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, while the victim was working and the neighbor approached him
- Primera Hora reports the victim was also threatened with death; family members took him to the Maunabo CDT where doctors diagnosed a possible fracture
- Police agent Erika O. Figueroa Vázquez investigated and referred the case to the CIC in Humacao; agent Luis E. Navas Marín seized the shovel as evidence
Incident details
A 69-year-old man reported that his 45-year-old neighbor attacked him with a shovel while he was performing construction work in the Parcelas Nuevas sector of barrio Palo Seco in Maunabo. El Nuevo Día reported the events took place on Wednesday. The victim sustained an injury to his left forearm.
According to the preliminary police information cited by all three outlets, the alleged aggressor approached the man and struck him with the construction tool. The victim also alleged he was threatened with death. Family members transported him to the Centro de Diagnóstico y Tratamiento in Maunabo, where he was diagnosed with a possible fracture in his left arm. Metro Puerto Rico reported the time of the incident as approximately 11:23 a.m.
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Police response
Agent Erika O. Figueroa Vázquez of the Maunabo district conducted the preliminary investigation and referred the case to the Criminal Investigation Corps in Humacao. Agent Luis E. Navas Marín of the Technical Services Division took photographs of the scene and seized the shovel as evidence. Primera Hora reported these details.
The investigation into the circumstances of the alleged assault remains ongoing.
Where the sources differ
All three sources agree on the ages of the victim (69) and alleged aggressor (45), the location (Parcelas Nuevas, barrio Palo Seco, Maunabo), the use of a cutting shovel during construction work, the left-arm injury diagnosed as a possible fracture, the threat of death, the transport to the Maunabo CDT, the preliminary investigator (agent Erika O. Figueroa Vázquez), the referral to CIC Humacao, and the evidence collection by agent Luis E. Navas Marín. El Nuevo Día does not specify the exact time, while Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora both report the assault occurred around 11:23 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The sources present the account as the victim's complaint and use terms such as "presuntamente" and "alegó."
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state whether the 45-year-old suspect has been arrested or charged. They provide no information on any possible motive for the alleged attack, the exact nature of the prior relationship between the neighbors, whether the victim required further medical treatment beyond the initial diagnosis, or what specific charges may be considered by investigators.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Ataque con pala en Maunabo: hombre de 69 años denuncia agresión de un vecino
- Reporting Hombre le mete con una pala a su vecino mientras trabajaba
- Reporting Hombre le da palazo a su vecino de 69 años mientras trabajaba en construcción
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día, Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora all reported the same police account of the alleged shovel assault in Maunabo on Oct. 21. Details on the time of the incident rest on the accounts in Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora; the status of any arrest or the full investigation rests on a single police source cited by all three.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.