The short version
- Metro Puerto Rico reported the body of Mariel Patricia Crespo Cortés was found covered with a sheet behind the municipal gym in barrio Sábalos on Monday
- El Nuevo Día reported Steven Fuster Santana was identified in a Wednesday lineup and remains detained while prosecutors prepare charges including possible destruction of evidence
- El Vocero reported the woman was last seen Oct. 29 near a pharmacy in Sábalos and a possible overdose is being considered but cause of death is pending
- Primera Hora reported the victim had a criminal record for controlled substances violations and two men a father and son were initially detained
Identification of Suspect
Police in Mayagüez identified Steven Fuster Santana as the suspect in the case of a woman whose body was found wrapped in bedding. El Nuevo Día reported that the 41-year-old man was pointed out during a lineup on Wednesday afternoon at the Mayagüez police command. Inspector Joel González, director of the Criminal Investigations Corps in the region, told the newspaper that authorities are preparing to file charges in court the same day.
According to Metro Puerto Rico, Fuster Santana was arrested Tuesday after police searched his residence as part of the investigation. His father was also arrested but later released and cited to appear, El Nuevo Día reported. The inspector said evidence does not yet show what relationship, if any, existed between the suspect and the victim.
Also on PuertoRico.com: Mayagüez travel guide
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Ahora vamos a que nos den la boleta y denuncia para radicarle en el tribunal. Ya tengo el supervisor en la Fiscalía tomando los documentos... (La radicación) tiene que ser hoy
Our translation: Now we are going to get the warrant and complaint to file charges in court. I already have the supervisor at the prosecutor’s office taking the documents... The filing has to be today.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Discovery of the Body
The body of Mariel Patricia Crespo Cortés, 33, was found Monday in a wooded area of barrio Sábalos in Mayagüez. Primera Hora reported that the discovery was made around 12:40 p.m. after a call to the local precinct; the body was in a state of decomposition and covered with sheets on a plot along camino Carrau behind a residence.
El Vocero reported the woman had last been seen on Oct. 29 near a pharmacy in the same barrio. The Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed her identity Tuesday through fingerprints, Metro Puerto Rico stated. An autopsy has been performed but the cause and manner of death remain pending further tests and the police investigation.
Where the sources differ
All sources agree on the identity of the victim as Mariel Patricia Crespo Cortés, 33, the location in barrio Sábalos, Mayagüez, and that Steven Fuster Santana, 41, was identified in a lineup and remains in custody. Metro Puerto Rico, El Nuevo Día and El Vocero place the discovery behind the municipal gym or on camino Carrau behind a residence; El Vocero and Primera Hora add the body was wrapped in a sheet and comforter or sheets. El Nuevo Día quotes Inspector Joel González saying no signs of violence were found in the autopsy but tests are pending; El Vocero mentions a possible overdose theory. Sources differ on exact timing of the initial discovery, with Metro and Primera Hora citing Monday while some reports reference the call time on the prior day. The father’s status is consistently described as initially detained then released and cited.
What the reports do not say
The sources do not state whether charges have been formally filed against Steven Fuster Santana as of Wednesday evening, the precise cause of death, the nature of any relationship between the victim and the suspects, or what specific evidence was recovered during the search of the residence. They also do not indicate whether the father faces any future charges or provide details on the victim’s family notification beyond a relative having reported her missing.
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.
- Official Identifican cadáver amortajado de mujer en Mayagüez
- Official Identifican en rueda de confrontación a sospechoso de abandonar el cuerpo de una mujer en un monte de Mayagüez
- Reporting Identifican a hombre que habría abandonado cuerpo de mujer cubierto con una sábana en Mayagüez
- Reporting Identifican en rueda de confrontación a sospechoso de abandonar el cuerpo de una mujer en un monte de Mayagüez
- Reporting Permanece detenido hombre vinculado a caso de mujer hallada envuelta en sábanas en Mayagüez
- Reporting Identifican cadáver amortajado de mujer en Mayagüez
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día, Metro Puerto Rico, El Vocero and Primera Hora reported the facts surrounding the identification of Steven Fuster Santana and the discovery of Mariel Patricia Crespo Cortés’s body in Mayagüez. The possible charges, pending forensic results and the exact sequence of events before the body was abandoned rest primarily on statements from Inspector Joel González and the ongoing police and prosecutorial investigation reported by these outlets.
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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