Domestic violence complaint leads to discovery of possible human bones in Moca altar
Police responding to a report of a 23-year-old woman assaulting her 38-year-old partner found what she described as human bones inside a religious altar in a Moca residence early Thursday.
The short version
- Metro Puerto Rico reports police arrived at a Moca home early Thursday after a domestic violence complaint involving a 23-year-old woman and her 38-year-old partner
- The woman told officers there was an altar containing what she believed were human bones in one of the rooms, according to both Metro Puerto Rico and Telemundo Puerto Rico
- The man claimed the bones were part of his religious beliefs and that he obtained them through an internet page, Telemundo Puerto Rico reported
- The remains were seized and will be taken to the Instituto de Ciencias Forenses for analysis to determine if they are human and their origin
Discovery during police response
Police went to a residence in Moca early Thursday, Oct. 8, after receiving a domestic violence complaint. A 23-year-old woman was accused of assaulting her 38-year-old partner. Metro Puerto Rico reported that during the intervention the woman informed officers that in one of the rooms there was an altar with bones that she said were human.
The woman also stated that her partner practiced his religious beliefs there. The remains were seized by police and will be transferred to the Instituto de Ciencias Forenses to determine whether they actually belong to a person. Telemundo Puerto Rico reported the same sequence of events.
Man's account and next steps
The man told authorities that what was used in the altar was part of his religious beliefs and that he had obtained the remains through a page on the internet, according to Telemundo Puerto Rico. Metro Puerto Rico noted that it has not been established what type of belief or practice was associated with the altar.
No information has been released on the origin of the remains or whether any crime is related to their possession. That determination will depend on the forensic analysis. Both outlets reported that the police are investigating the case.
Where the sources differ
Both Metro Puerto Rico and Telemundo Puerto Rico agree on the basic facts: police responded to a domestic violence complaint in Moca early Thursday involving a 23-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man, the woman directed them to an altar with what she described as human bones, and the remains will be analyzed at the Instituto de Ciencias Forenses. Metro Puerto Rico mentions prior similar cases in Puerto Rico involving skulls or bones in altars or rituals and notes that not all such practices use human remains. Telemundo Puerto Rico includes the man's claim that he obtained the bones via an internet page and that he said his complaint was distorted by the discovery which he attributed to a religion. The sources do not conflict on any reported facts.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the exact address in Moca, the precise time of the call or police arrival, whether either person was arrested on the domestic violence complaint, the current custody status of the remains, or any timeline for the forensic results. They also do not indicate whether investigators are treating the possession of the bones as a potential crime or have identified any possible victim linked to the remains.
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 Querella de violencia doméstica revela osamenta en Moca
- Reporting Hallan altar con presuntos huesos humanos tras denuncia de violencia doméstica
How we checked this
Metro Puerto Rico and Telemundo Puerto Rico both covered the incident based on preliminary police information. Details about the man's explanation for the bones and his claim that the complaint was distorted appear only in the Telemundo Puerto Rico account.
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.