Jealousy Allegedly Triggered Shooting in Santa Isabel Farm
Police are investigating whether jealousy led a man to allegedly shoot his ex-partner and a farm employee before taking his own life on Monday in Santa Isabel.
PhotoThe short version
- Metro Puerto Rico reports José Luis Arriaga Vargas allegedly shot his ex-partner, killed 62-year-old Eduardo Cruz Torres and then killed himself according to the investigation
- Telemundo Puerto Rico reported the incident would have been provoked by jealousy and left two men dead and a 45-year-old woman wounded
- The woman remains hospitalized in critical condition according to Metro Puerto Rico
- Police received the emergency call at approximately 5:50 a.m. and the Criminal Investigation Corps of Ponce is handling the case
Alleged Attack at Farm
A man identified as José Luis Arriaga Vargas allegedly attacked his ex-partner at a farm in Santa Isabel on Monday morning, October 26, according to Metro Puerto Rico. The incident left two men dead and the woman seriously wounded, Metro Puerto Rico reported. Telemundo Puerto Rico reported the tragedy would have been provoked by jealousy.
According to Metro Puerto Rico, Arriaga Vargas, who had been separated from the woman for about a week, arrived at the farm, parked his vehicle at a distance and walked to where his ex-partner was. He allegedly shot her and then chased Eduardo Cruz Torres, 62, whom he would have killed. The man then returned and took his own life, Metro Puerto Rico reported citing information from Telenoticias journalist Marjorie Ramírez.
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Ongoing Police Investigation
Metro Puerto Rico reported that the investigation points to jealousy as one of the main lines of inquiry. Cruz Torres worked at the farm alongside the woman and maintained a friendship with her, reportedly bringing her breakfast daily. Family members of Arriaga Vargas told Telenoticias they were surprised by the events despite the recent separation, while associates of Cruz Torres said he had mentioned previous threats and an incident in which shots were allegedly fired at his residence.
The facts were reported around 5:50 a.m. via a call to the 9-1-1 Emergency System. Agents from the Criminal Investigation Corps of Ponce, along with the on-duty prosecutor, are investigating the circumstances to determine if jealousy was the motive, according to Metro Puerto Rico. The woman, 45, remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Where the sources differ
Both sources agree on the location in Santa Isabel, the identities of José Luis Arriaga Vargas, Eduardo Cruz Torres (62) and the 45-year-old woman, the sequence of events, the apparent motive of jealousy and that the woman is in critical condition. Telemundo Puerto Rico reported the tragedy would have been provoked by jealousy while Metro Puerto Rico described jealousy as one of the main lines of investigation and used conditional language such as "presuntamente" and "habría" throughout its account of the alleged actions.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state the current condition of the investigation beyond it being active, whether any weapon has been recovered, the exact medical prognosis for the injured woman or any potential charges since the suspect is deceased. They also do not indicate when the separation between Arriaga Vargas and the woman became official or provide further details on the prior threats mentioned by associates of Cruz Torres.
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 Lo Último: Celos habrían desatado tragedia en Santa Isabel
- Reporting Tragedia en Santa Isabela habría sido provocada por celos
How we checked this
Metro Puerto Rico and Telemundo Puerto Rico both reported the incident and its alleged motive of jealousy on October 26. Details on the sequence of events, prior threats and family reactions rest on the single source of information cited by Metro Puerto Rico from Telenoticias journalist Marjorie Ramírez.
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.
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